Prepared to Fight
by sleepywitchysamurai
Summary: [On HIATUS] Michonne is not going to follow Rick's lead blindly. Their friendship has been built on trust, respect and their mutual love for his children. The tragic events that occured at the courtyard leave her questioning their relationship. (Inspired by the song Conqueror by Estelle ft. Jussie Mollet & interview responses from Danai & Andy)
1. Chapter 1: We all make mistakes

Summary: Rick and Michonne's friendship has been built on trust, respect and love for his children, can the tragic events at the meeting set to decide Rick's fate derail the growth of something more developing. (Inspired by the song Conqueror by Estelle ft. Jussie Mollet and interview responses from Danai and Andrew.)

Chapter 1

Michonne thought about how she should have expected this as she stared into Pete's vacant stare, her eyes fell to the gleaming katana at his side and the fresh blood dripping off it. She shook her head in dismay, she could not have guessed that a walker would choose today of all days, to make its way into the _safe_ zone. She could not have predicted that Pete would walk into her house and steal her katana but the one variable in this equation, one that she could have predicted the actions of, was Rick. He was once again in the middle of another shitty situation. She switched her gaze from the dangerous weapon on the ground, to the equally dangerous man standing next to it. Rick's gun was still pointed at the corpse at his feet. He looked absolutely wild, blood dripping from his face, hands and clothes, walker remains still in his hair. An unforgiving and focused glint in his cold blue eyes.

Michonne's emotions alternated between feeling frustrated and being relieved. Rick was safe from being exiled. Ironically, he had Pete to thank for that. Michonne wondered if Jessie would thank Rick for freeing her, however, she chose not to pursue that train of thought. It might have been unfair to blame the victim but some of the subsequent drama had begun at her doorstep. Admittedly, it had more to do with Rick chasing after a married woman or his recent inability to deal with things in a more, rational manner. It might also have had something to do with his partner in crime. Michonne side-eyed Carol (who seemed quite pleased with herself) in annoyance.

As if things weren't already awkward and uncomfortable; Aaron, Darryl and a new recruit- a man that Michonne was certain she had seen before- had shown up at the entrance to the courtyard, to be greeted with Rick emptying a bullet into Pete's head. She didn't blame them for looking so bewildered. She began to wonder though, at how long they were all going to stand in the cold air of the night, waiting for someone to give direction on what to do, to lead. Her eyes and feet instinctively sought out Rick.

Rick looked at Morgan's sudden appearance in apparent disbelief. To show up in Alexandria right at that very moment with him standing over a dead body, and another one in the arms of a very distraught, weeping woman. He admitted to himself that it looked pretty bad but he felt validated in his role, in this fucked up situation. He had warned them right from the beginning, even when Deanna had interviewed him. There was always going to be someone out there, ready to take what you owned if you proved weak to defend it. These people were weak and he had had to kill one of them to make a point and to keep them safe. To keep his family safe!

He was taken aback when Michonne appeared in his line of vision, blocking his view of Darryl and company. Rick cocked his head to the side, as if to ask what she needed. She looked at the gun in his hand, and just like he had offered it to a few hours ago, he offered it to her again in the same manner. This time, she accepted the weapon, her fingers lingering briefly on his before she took the gun from him. Michonne was startled when he held onto her other hand tightly and didn't let go. She looked up at him questioningly but he was already facing the crowd. She wondered if this was Rick's way of presenting a united front.

Michonne withheld heavy sigh of exasperation, wishing she could just go home and rest. She tried to think of what could be said to alleviate their fears but looking at the crowd, their faces communicated fear and confusion. She observed that some were even crying. She came to the conclusion that whatever was said, would not solve anything, at least, not tonight. She surprised herself when words started pouring forth from her own lips. "I think its best we all make our way home and try to get some rest", she said in a firm voice that brooked no arguments. "And allow the families that have been affected by today's tragedies to mourn in private".

Of course no one moved, she looked on dispassionately as they all stood staring at her uncomprehendingly. She resisted the urge to curse when she noticed a few of them casting furtive glances at her hand where it was clasped inside Rick's hand. It did not escape her notice that one person in particular looked incredibly unhappy about that. In her peripheral vision, she noticed Rick taking menacing step towards the crowd, his head tilted away from her view so she couldn't see the expression he wore.

"Move. Now!" he commanded.

It was like a mass exodus as they all filed out of the courtyard obediently, granted there were sounds of grumbling and discontent as they all shuffled past, and out the exit where Darryl and his companions were still waiting.

He watched them all leave absentmindedly, his mind preoccupied with his decision to hold Michonne's hand. The touch of her fingers as she took the gun had provided an unexpected amount of comfort, so before she had the chance move away, he had scrambled to hold her hand, hoping to draw strength and comfort. Michonne pulled her hand out from his as the last of the crowd left. She did not say anything to him nor did she make any eye contact as she walked away. He tried to ignore the empty feeling that invaded him when she had pulled away, in fact, pushed it to the depths of his mind until he had a chance to properly explore it.

The only people left in the courtyard included Deanna who was still on the ground, cradling her dead husband. He watched Michonne for a few seconds as she crouched near Deanna, she spoke words that were inaudible to him but that made Deanna sit up and wipe away the tears on her face. Rick turned away from the sight. He also avoided making eye contact with Jessie who was now making her way towards her husband. He quickly stepped away from where he stood next to Pete's body. He caught the look of devastation on her face before he turned away from her. He sighed, aggravated at the thought of that messy situation. He walked toward Darryl and company where they now stood inside the courtyard. Morgan stepped forward, his expression guarded as he proffered his clean hand to shake Rick's bloody one.

* * *

Michonne stood near the fireplace, considering if she should hang the sword back on its mantle from where it had stolen. She heard the heavy tread of his footfalls on the steps as he came down to the living room. She contemplated whether having a conversation about everything that had happened was necessary at such a late hour. She was tired and she didn't want to risk getting into an argument with him. She reluctantly turned to look at him when he came to stand beside her, his body also turned towards the fireplace. He didn't look agitated so she safely assumed Carl and Judith had been left untouched by the tragic sequence of events that had taken place.

He seemed to know what she was thinking though, "they are fine, it seems he just took your sword and headed for the courtyard".

Michonne nodded, feeling relieved, she couldn't bear the thought that the katana could have been wielded to hurt the people she cared for, again. It made her think of the domino effect that had took effect as a result of Rick's paranoia and mistrust. She leaned forward and put the sword back on its mantle, a test of sorts to assess how she felt about leaving it up there again. She looked back at Rick to see his reaction but she couldn't glean anything from it. He seemed to be deep in thought and it made her curious to know his state of mind. She hesitated but couldn't restrain herself from asking anymore.

"When I came to your room earlier, and we talked, I said to you not to make something happen. Is that what you did tonight?" she asked, suspicion evident in her voice. She refused to retract her statement when he swivelled to face her, a wounded look playing across his face. When Rick continued staring at her in silence, she let out a frustrated sigh and turned away from him to look back at the katana. She knew she was fooling herself by keeping up the pretence that it could really stay up there, _after..._

"I assumed that we were in agreement…" She stopped talking when she felt Rick's touch on her arm. She faced him and almost took a step back at the hardened expression on his face.

"If you don't change you die, and if you don't adapt you die. This is the world we live in now Michonne, you know this. Especially after what has happened since the prison- with the Governor, and at Terminus". He turned his back and walked away towards the couch where he sat, his legs spread before him and his head resting against the head rest. His eyelids took on a hooded quality as he kept his gaze on her.

"I heard what you said to me, Michonne, all of it", he stressed, his voice deepened as he added, "and I'm _more than_ grateful for your trust in me, believe me when I say it's not misplaced".

"Isn't it? I'm still with you Rick" she said emphatically. She had felt that she was partly to blame, how could she have been blinded to the scheming that was going on around her. "But that doesn't mean I'll follow you blindly".

Rick's eyes widened at her words, he averted his eyes, unable to hold her gaze and what he thought he saw in it. Dread filled him at the implications behind her declaration. He sat up, and moved to the edge of the couch, his gaze remained fixated on the carpet at his feet. "You have to know there was only one way that could have played out, when Pete killed Reg. Deanna made the decision", he added weakly.

"What else did you expect from a grieving woman whom in the space of only 48 hours had lost not only her son, but a husband as well? We were lucky that Pete did what he did, but you gotta start making better choices, especially now. These people are now looking to you".

He highly doubted that, but they had to follow his leadership now. Noah. Tara. The walker that had got in, Pete's actions- they had all culminated up to this point. There was no other way they could continue living in their alternate reality. He felt Michonne approaching him, she placed a hand on his shoulder making him look up at her. He felt his heart skip a beat.

"They do need you, Rick", she insisted. "They need a leader who is not going to hesitate to make the hard decisions, someone who has survived, that's why Aaron picked us. Someone who knows what's out there".

He nodded, his hand covered hers. "You keep on saying _they,_ what about you?"

She removed her hand from where it rested on his shoulder and took a step back. The question had an unexpected effect as it finally dawned on her why she felt had so conflicted since the moment Rick had finally revealed what his manic, gun waving rant on the street in broad daylight had been about. She finally admitted to herself as she swallowed a hard lump that had suddenly lodged in her throat. She felt betrayed, hurt and left out. She had thought her relationship with Rick had evolved.

She couldn't look at him. Her eyes drifted, and she turned back towards the mantle and tried to focus on something else. Her gut told her that her actions or lack thereof, had also been misguided. In her desire to start living, she had forgotten. Forgotten that to live, she had to survive. They had to survive. Andre, Andrea, Mike, Hershel- all of the people they had lost- she could not bear to lose any more people. Back at the church, Abraham had been wrong, it was because they were survivors that they got to live to make new memories. Her movements where controlled and calm when she reached up to take down her sword and slid it back in its sheath and over her shoulder.

She prepared to bid Rick a goodnight, feeling exhausted and ready to retire but paused in surprise when he suddenly appeared in front of her, blocking her path. Rick touched her again. He wrapped his hand around her bicep and stepped into her personal space. She looked at him, unable to hide her surprise. They were standing closer to each other then, than they had ever been before.

His eyes bored into hers. "You are one of the most important people to me, Michonne, and the thought of losing your trust, it…" He couldn't finish the thought, the mere idea that he could lose her trust caused him some anxiety. He pushed back the hair that had escaped her head band, behind her ear, and let his fingers linger on her cheek. "I am going to need your help in getting these people ready, especially after what Darryl and Morgan told us. That means the katana is where it should be", he said touching the strap on her shoulder. "It does not mean we don't get to live. I understand if you have you lost some of you faith in me, not telling you about the guns, the thing with Jessie and Pete…I thought I was protecting you. I was protecting our friends and family."

She nodded, once, and then again but remained silent caught between wanting to believe him and understanding him. She eventually settled for something in between, she would judge him on how he would proceed. Her lips trembled as she tried smile at him, holding his earnest gaze. That's when it happened. His eyes dropped quickly to her lips and back to her eyes. They simultaneously took a step back from each other as if shocked at the realisation of their close proximity to one another. They both looked as if they had been electrocuted as thoughts quickly filtered in and out of their minds at the possibility of what he had been thinking or why she could not tamp down the feeling of anticipation that had coursed through her. They bid each other a goodnight, both of them unwilling to look closely at what had just happened.


	2. Chapter 2: Going in circles

A/N: First and foremost, thank you for your responses and interest in this story that is still ongoing.

Guest: I have big plans for Michonne, big plans. I'm into Korean drama, and I watched this one called Faith, there was some elements in it about the trauma one can experience after using a weapon to kill for as long as she has. It's something I'm interested in exploring on a smaller scale. And I love that song too, each chapter will take some of its meaning from the song.

birdnmouse & focusedOnProsperity: Lol, thank you! I wish I could put the gif of Carl thanking Michonne for the comic books in 4x01. That's how happy you've made me. I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint, it kept on changing as I wrote it.

CallyGreen: You know, it was evident that Carol could have handled Pete. For me that was an opportunity to show us how far she had come from Season 1. I guess to some extent I understood the importance of her using her inner Slytherin (I hope you understand that reference) to hide just how capable she was from the residents of Alexandria.

Chapter 2

For the first time since they had entered the safe zone, it had rained. The dull atmosphere seemed to mimic the sombre mood of the crowd as they gathered somewhere behind the rows of houses, but far away enough from the wall that their activities or presence would not attract any walkers. The Alexandrians and Rick's people stood in two distinct groups, the divide not as obvious as they huddled and shielded themselves from the weather. A few feet in front of the large group stood the leader of Alexandria and her remaining son at a freshly earth filled grave and just a bit further away from them; the dead doctor's wife and younger son, at their allocated grave site. The idea of burying these two people anywhere near each other had been both distasteful and uncomfortable, each emotion felt more keenly by the victim's family, than the aggressor's.

* * *

Carol walked into the kitchen having changed from the black pant suit she had worn that morning. Michonne nodded grimly at Maggie and Sasha whom she had been talking to as she got off her chair, intending to leave the room. They had finally filled her in on what had happened with Father Gabriel whilst the meeting had been taking place. Maggie had also divulged about the Father's not so private conversation with Deanna. It didn't look good at all. It didn't look good if someone who had walked into the gates of Alexandria with them and who might have looked like he was part of this close knit group, to have said such things about them.

She decided seek out Rick and inform him of the situation and to change out of her own black, dreary looking dress. She strode past Carol- who was getting started on making dinner for the group- in silence. She half-heartedly thought about staying to help but figured that the lingering annoyance she still felt towards her, would have been difficult to conceal if she stayed within spitting distance.

After the funeral, the group had all retreated to headquarters- it was an unspoken agreement that headquarters was the house they had all stayed in together, on their first night in Alexandria. She met Daryl at the foot of the stairs where he sat looking through his collection of arrows. It appeared as if he hadn't changed out of the clothes he had shown up in at the meeting. She wondered if he was still having trouble assimilating- not that any of them were doing any better. She decided to make an effort to talk to him later. She greeted him softly and he responded in kind, she had been about to walk up the stairs but took note that she hadn't spotted Rick from among the group of people that were downstairs. The last time she had seen him had been after the funeral as they all made their way home. He had been walking with Daryl and Morgan. She paused on the second step and leaned back to look at him questioningly.

"What", he asked, when he felt her staring at him.

"Have you seen Rick?"

Daryl stared at the arrow in his hand, taking note of the splinter that had begun to form at the base of it, he pressed against the base of the arrow to see if the break affected the arrow's function. He was aware that he had hesitated and taken just a second too long to respond. Rick might not have told him all that had transpired whilst he was gone, particularly the little important details about what was going on between him and Michonne but he wasn't stupid. There was something there, he sensed some tension whenever they interacted. He just couldn't pinpoint the cause, he didn't want to assume that it had anything to do with Rick's little dalliance with the married lady. He figured that was none of his business but all of a sudden in that moment she waited for his response, he hesitated and he couldn't figure out why that was.

He looked her directly in the eye unable to resist his curiosity. "He stopped to talk with that blonde lady who was at the funeral, the one with the little kid".

Michonne stared at him and tried to control her reaction. "I see".

She looked back up the stairs to hide the effect his words had caused. She could feel herself begin to frown before her mind fully caught up with her emotions. She said something to Daryl about going to her room to change and stomped up the stairs. She still didn't know how to feel about the whole Rick and Jessie _thing_ , she refused to feel any kind of way about it because it raised other questions in her mind that frightened her. After their talk two days ago and the awkwardness that had ensued the following morning, she begrudgingly admitted that there hadn't been a lot of opportunities for them to be alone. However, she had had ample time for her mind to analyse, then over analyse the nuances of their interaction.

The touching didn't surprise her all that much, admittedly it had gotten more frequent, nothing overt just yet. It was just the way he had looked at her that had her on edge. She constantly replayed 'the look' he had given her, like he had briefly thought about kissing her. She trembled. That look, though fleeting, had an unforseen consequence. It had unwittingly opened a door in her mind she had not allowed herself to acknowledge. It was easy to admit that Rick was an attractive man, she had seen that when they first met properly, although back then, it hadn't been the most important thing to pay attention to.

So she had laid in bed each night, eyes wide, as her mind replayed the various moments they had shared since they had encountered one another. There was one moment that stood out to her, the one time that thoughts of ever finding love had crossed her mind. Out there she had pushed such thoughts to the background with little effort; what with the constant presence of danger, constant search for food and shelter, and hope being renewed and destroyed all within the same day. She had not considered that she would ever be with someone again. However this significant moment had occurred recently, the very day they had arrived in Alexandria, when they were stopped at the front of the closed gates and heard the sound of children laughing inside the walls. Her intuition was that this had been the answer Rick had needed, to convince himself of the legitimacy of the community. Rick had looked at her with such openness and vulnerability that she had found her hand covering his, her thumb brushing over his knuckles. She had smiled, sharing in his happiness and relief. It was only after they had exited the confines of the car that it occurred to her, she had been the one to initiate contact.

Now she could readily admit that something had changed within her since that moment in the car. It would explain why she had felt so hurt at being left out. She had never really taken the time to define their relationship. They protected each other, they cared for each other as they did every other member of the group. They were her family, in Carl she had found a second son. Judith had helped her face her grief over losing Andre, initially she had refused to spend time with her but could not help watching out for her and caring from a distance. After the prison had fallen and when she had caught up with the Grimes men sans Judith, she had imagined feeling relieved for keeping her distance. It was a cold realisation to find out she had grown to care for her and that it had been too late to recapture those wasted moments. She had meant what she had said to Rick about not taking breaks, it was a promise she had kept when they were miraculously reunited with Judith.

Michonne pulled on her black studded boots, and grabbed her jacket from the bed before leaving her room. She decided to check in on Carl who had stayed back with Judith and not attended the funeral due to the cold weather. She could hear the door opening downstairs and people greeting Tara, she smiled, at least there was some good news to be happy about. She almost walked past the stairs but stopped short when she heard her name being called, she knew who it was even without looking at him. She glanced down at Rick, taking in his casual attire indicating that he had returned a while ago.

"Hey", he greeted her, grinning. He leaned on the railing at the top of the staircase.

She couldn't help but return the gesture. "Hi". A silence enveloped them for a second after her warm response, it began to feel awkward when no one said anything immediately. She looked past him and was relieved to see that Daryl no longer sat at the bottom of the stairs.

"I was looking for you, earlier", she said airily.

"I wasn't here."

Rick didn't look at her when he responded, in fact he lost the small smile on his face all together. She didn't say anything, she waited for him to elaborate, to say that he had been with Jessie but he didn't say anything further. She squashed the rush of disappointment that she felt but recognised that she was not entitled or should she expect him to tell her everything. As long as whatever he was doing now, did not jeopardise what they were trying to build here.

Still, it niggled at her, why could he not tell her. "Thank you for sharing there, Rick". She had meant to say it jokingly but it came of as being sarcastic. She internally chastised herself and decided to change the subject before she revealed her true feelings about the whole matter. "Well, I was looking for you earlier, there is something that Maggie told me about Father Gabriel…"

* * *

It wasn't until he had stopped ranting about Father Gabriel that Rick realised he was in Michonne's room, just the two of them. They hadn't been really alone since the night they had returned home from the meeting. It wasn't until after he had retired to his room, with Judith safely tucked back into her cot, had he allowed himself to think about his actions, to begin to processes what Michonne had said to him and how their talk had ended. He _twisted_ the wedding band on his ring finger absentmindedly.

In that split second, he had wanted to kiss her and it would not have been for the first time the thought had crossed his mind that day. _I'm still with you_. He had clung to those words as she had revealed her dwindling faith in him. The only thing that had stopped him from following through, was the fear that she would not reciprocate and he also wanted to be certain that he truly, wanted something more with her. If it had turned out to be a mistake, he didn't want to think about the repercussions, not only to himself, but to his children, and the dynamics within their larger family. Above all else, he valued Michonne's friendship, she had somehow, slowly become closer to him. She had sneaked into his heart and carved out a niche for herself and until that moment when she had said those words, with that tender look in her eyes had he fully understood the extent of their _intimate friendship_.

He was brought back to the present by the very woman who was preoccupying his mind, she stood before him with an irritated look on her face, her arms crossed at the chest and all that was missing was for her to start tapping her foot against the floor.

"What?" he asked, puzzled by her countenance.

Michonne had noticed that he always seemed preoccupied by an internal debate whenever they spoke. "Why do you keep zoning out when I'm talking to you", she said, annoyed. It didn't help that he had avoided telling her what had happened with Jessie.

He laughed, he probably shouldn't have considering how peeved she seemed but he highly doubted he had the ability to ignore her. Hide things from her such as his downward spiral, maybe, but ignoring her was impossible. He pulled on her arm when she huffed and attempted to walk past him to open the door.

He spun them so that Michonne's back almost leaned against the door, and he stood an arm's length away from her. "I don't think that's possible", he breathed. The air became charged around them as their eyes met. He steeled himself to maintain eye contact but was surprised and somewhat disappointed when Michonne pulled away and her eyes skittered across the room. To avoid making her feel any discomfort he brought them back to the issue at hand. "I knew we should have left him back at the church, look at how he treated those people who trusted him. He's a dick, only in it for himself".

It took Michonne a second to catch up and to recover from…whatever that had been.

"It doesn't matter though" he continued. Her eyes widened most likely in surprise that he was no longer pissed off. "Deanna must already have been questioning why she let us in. Get rid of him before we start the meeting or I might do something to him" he said, his voice taking on a menacing quality to it.

Michonne didn't want to agree with him but grudgingly conceded that he was right. Despite Sasha and Maggie telling her about how the three of them had helped each other start to heal from their losses, Gabriel was still a liability. Until they were certain of where his loyalties lay, whether with Deanna or to himself or the group- he couldn't be trusted.

She sighed and leaned against the door as she watched Rick touch the few bits and pieces that she actually owned in her room. He picked up the katana that was now resting on top of the lone table in her room. "How do you think this is going to play out, with Deanna I mean, we could try talking to her. She has to see our point of view now, considering what she asked you to do", she reasoned when he looked like he wanted to disagree.

Rick was initially silent, contemplating what to say without raising her hackles, he faced away from her to put the weapon back on the table. "We missed our opportunity to talk to her, to them", he said rubbing his jaw. "It might be the case that our only option would be to _force_ ourselves into positions of authority", he said tentatively, turning to look at her to gauge her reaction. She stared at him, a dubious expression on her face.

Michonne straightened, moving away from the door and closer to him. "Are you…are you suggesting we kill her!" she whispered indignantly. "That cannot be your default setting, Rick", she said gesturing wildly.

"Then what do you fucking propose", he challenged, taking a step closer to her.

"Oh I don't know, talk to her like we are bloody human beings, not monsters!" She immediately regretted how she had spoken when the expression on his face hardened. The throbbing vein on his forehead visible.

"And that can't be you default setting either, it never used to be", he declared heatedly.

In the silence that followed, only the sounds of their heavy breathing could be heard as they stared intensely at each other. A moment passed and a knock at the door startled them. Michonne took a calming breath to settle her chaotic emotions, only Rick could push her buttons so effectively. She looked back at Rick who seemed to be struggling to the same. She opened the door to find Carl standing there with a concerned look on his face, his fist raised mid knock. He looked from his father to herself with a frown on his face, then looked back at Rick again.

"Deanna is here to see you", he said with no preamble.

Rick and Michonne exchanged a loaded look.


	3. Chapter 3: Get to where you are

Disclaimer: Two chapters in and no one pointed out that I hadn't done one of these, although I think it pointless since this is fan fiction site and claiming these characters and this universe as of my own creation is ridiculous. So no, I don't own it, unfortunately.

A/N: Before I go any further with this story just for full disclosure, I'm not going to fully touch on the Wolves storyline, they are going to be an imminent threat but there won't be a face to face encounter with them, in the time period that my story is set in. There might be certain things that will happen to keep the danger of this unknown enemy, ever present.

* * *

Chapter 3

Rick looked at Deanna in disbelief, he couldn't help but be suspicious at her sudden change of heart and hoped that he wasn't alone in his doubts. Next to him stood Michonne, he glanced at her and saw that she was watching Deanna with an unreadable expression on her face. He looked at his family and extended family members, observing that Father Gabriel was still present and accounted for, he glared at him. The group had congregated in the living room and they all wore varying degrees of suspicion mixed with relief. Rick looked back at Deanna- even after being welcomed into the house, she remained standing near the entrance to the room as if she wanted to be close to the nearest exit…

"I know we've had our differences, but I meant what I said. Show us how we can survive", Deanna stated as her eyes scanned this group of potential allies or dangerous enemies. "With _all_ that has happened, I can no longer ignore the changes that need to happen here."

Again, they were all silent. Rick was trying to figure out, what the catch was. Her eyes were red rimmed, the only sign that she had been crying not so long ago. He didn't think she had it in her to be deceitful but then again, if she could turn a blind eye to domestic violence because it benefited her, he concluded that outward appearances could really be deceiving.

"Just like that?"

Rick looked at Carl who had asked the question, father and son exchanged a brief look.

"No, not exactly". Deanna said dryly.

"Of course" quipped Carol, from where she sat between Carl and Daryl. "That would have been too easy" she added sardonically, her voice several octaves lower.

"Well, there is one thing", she began, her eyes finally connecting with Rick for the first time, "I'm not just going to hand over the reins to you, if that's what you are thinking", she said firmly. "I know how to read people, at least, I thought I did. I respect your drive, but I cannot completely trust your judgement or your methods. And most of the community, although they agreed with what you said, they are uneasy about you having complete _access"._

"So", Rick prodded impatiently, folding his arms.

"We-"

"We? Whose _we_?" he interrupted, confused.

Deanna stared at him shrewdly, then looked at the gathered crowd before her. "I take it's not a coincidence that I found every member of your group in your house. We held another meeting."

The fact that Rick and his family hadn't been included was left unsaid. He smirked and nodded his head at her begrudgingly but did not say anything. His eyes narrowed at her, it just seemed too damn easy for everything to fall into his lap like that, well, almost everything.

"Before…before he _died_ , Reg suggested something before the meeting", she paused, grimacing. "He thought we should form a council."

Rick's arms fell at his side, his jaw slackened with shock. The tips of his fingers pressed against the bridge of nose, his eyes closed as he let out a strangled laugh. The irony of it all wasn't lost on him. He opened his eyes and from the corner of his eyes caught the expression on Michonne's face, he almost did laugh then, she looked dumbfounded, no doubt remembering the same day he had been.

Deanna was determined to continue despite the lack of enthusiasm she sensed coming from Rick. "A council that included the original members of Alexandria and those from your group. So we discussed it today and picked 3 members, myself included. So you can decide amongst yourselves and we will meet this evening to discuss what a council will mean". With that being said, Deanna wasted no time with pleasantries, and swiftly left the room and the house all together. Before the door closed behind her, Spencer was heard asking after her wellbeing.

Abraham, Rosita, Eugene and Pastor Gabriel looked on in bewilderment as the room broke into an uproar. Tara on the other hand had a vague understanding of why everyone was so against the idea of forming a council. Her mind unwillingly took her back to the day she had followed a mad man to the gates of the prison. She recalled that Rick had refused to make a decision one way or the other because there had been a council then, his indecision had led to the death of one of his people. It hadn't been his fault though or at least she didn't think it was. Feelings of guilt still lingered from the path she'd chosen to walk because she honestly had had doubts about following a questionably, less than stable man, whom they had hardly known. She sat back further into her seat, prepared to sit this one out. She stared at the others and tried to communicate wordlessly for them to do the same. This clearly was still a sore subject for her friends. She looked at Rick, a sly grin forming on her face when she observed that he had interestingly sat next to Michonne.

"Is someone going to say what we are all thinking here?" Glenn spoke up in a loud voice, silencing the others. It seemed as if no one was going to venture in bringing up a dark time in their lives. Personally, he didn't want a repeat but he realised that this was the only way for a peaceful resolution and for them to actually get back to protecting this community. He desperately wanted to call this place home, for himself and Maggie- for the rest of his family. The fight with Nicholas had been a wake-up call. He clenched his fists as he recalled the anger and fear he had felt throughout the whole ordeal. Michonne had been right, they had been out there for too long. He looked at his hands that had forcibly jammed a gun on Nicholas' forehead. He shook his head, trying to dispel the horror he still felt, he hardly recognised the person he had become. He squeezed Maggie's hand with his good hand, adjusted his position to sit closer to her, being careful not to jostle his injured shoulder.

Michonne had been watching Rick since Deanna left, she couldn't tell what he was thinking however she could guess. He sat leaning forward, his elbows balanced on his thighs, his hands clasped together against his mouth as if he were praying. He gave the impression of being that he hadn't been affected but the tick in his jaw gave him away.

"I can say it if you want", Rick began, a hint of steel in his voice, "but I won't." His eyes momentarily fixated on Glenn, whose eyes widened as they stared back at him. "But this is our chance, _an opportunity"_. His mind was already calculating the hidden motive behind Deanna's turnabout. He cocked his head to the side, "so we are not going to talk about the past", he said stiffly, "but what we are going to do right now, is choose two other members for this fucking council".

They all exchanged looks that seemed to communicate that it went without saying, Rick had put himself on that council and god forgive the soul who tried to tell him otherwise. Decisions were made rather quickly after that. Michonne volunteered and became the second member of the council without much opposition.

When Carol attempted to volunteer, Sasha glanced at Michonne knowingly with a small smile on her face and then turned to Carol. "How is that going to work with the image you've set up for yourself here?" she said snidely.

Carol sat back, a disgruntled look on her face.

Maggie was chosen to continue the role Deanna had chosen for her, and that's how she became the third member of the council.

* * *

"Rick, wait". Michonne stopped Rick from entering the house once they were alone, Maggie having bid them a good night a few minutes ago before crossing the street. She put her hand on his chest as if to hold him in front of her. "Tell me what that woman said wasn't true".

She was still upset over what she had heard at their first _council meeting_. She thought back to how shockingly civilised they had all been. She hadn't been surprised that Spencer was part of the council, the only unexpected addition was Tobin considering what had happened when he was leading the construction crew. Michonne had been suspiciously and genuinely pleased at how smoothly things were going and had felt just a smidgen guilty for expecting Rick to lose his cool. Rick had been chilled. She remembered that she had tried to dismiss the feeling of dread that the other shoe was about to drop, her stomach tied in knots even though she remained composed outwardly, throughout the very brief meeting.

Then Jessie had shown up, bursting into the room with such force that they'd all jumped to their feet and drawn out their weapons. The physical signs of grief were clear to Michonne, she recognised them effortlessly. Jessie had proceeded to tearfully demand she be allowed on the council however had failed to list the reasons why she wanted to be part of it. When it had become evident to her that they thought she was out of her mind, she had turned to plead with Rick. Michonne had been ready to dismiss the unbelievable words she had spoken until she had spotted the look of shame on Rick's face.

She eyed Rick as they stood on their porch, focusing intently on his facial expression with the help of the light shining from inside the house through the gap left by the blinds. Rick remained silent, not meeting her gaze and it made her, irritable and irrational. "You wouldn't have helped anyone in her situation if you could!" She poked at his chest sharply, "even to say such things", she groused. "Did you want to get rid of her husband that badly, or were you thinking more with your dick and where you wanted to bury it!" she said scathingly.

Michonne walked away, irritated at herself for overreacting. Annoyed by why she was really angry but refusing to let her mind go there. Logically, she knew that the Rick back then had all been about taking the zone by force and would have said, and done anything to achieve his goals. Still she grumbled to herself as she walked into the house.

* * *

The following morning, Michonne was somewhat surprised, not only at the fact that Rick had picked her to go with him on a perimeter check considering what she had said to him last night- but also at the topic of conversation he had chosen to bring up with her as they begin their patrol. He could have gone with Tara or even Abraham. The four of them had separated into groups of two outside the gates of Alexandria, gone in opposite directions to assess the defences and/or weakness around the wall and looking for any suspicious activity, bearing in mind, the very real threat of the Wolves.

Michonne stared at Rick in barely concealed wonder.

"What?" Rick asked when he finally noticed the look on her face.

Michonne laughed humourlessly. "Are you seriously talking to me about Jessie?"

Rick was silent, sensing that it might not have been his brightest idea to bring her up considering what had transpired the previous night. He thought about dismissing the topic all together but realised that's what the old him (with Lori) would have done. He didn't want to avoid uncomfortable topics or situations with Michonne, part of what made them a good team was their ability to tell each other the truth and their mutual respect for one another. The one time he had failed to do that…he knew Michonne still hadn't let that go, she was still distant with him. So he decided to grab the bull by its horns, and fight just as stubbornly and determinedly.

"Yesterday, after the funeral, I stopped to talk to Jessie", Rick said nonchalantly, his eyes fixated on her.

Michonne who had been ready to ignore him, gaped at him, amazed that he had brought it up since he had previously avoided the subject altogether. The intensity in his gaze caused a delicious sensation to flow through her. She tried to tamp down the effect he was having on her and to appear indifferent as she responded that she had been aware of his whereabouts.

Rick wasn't all that surprised that she had known, several people had seen them heading towards Jessie's house. "Of course". He looked down, watching his feet as he collected his thoughts, feeling the need to explain himself to Michonne. "She felt guilty and angry at not fully understanding what kind of deal she had made with me. I told her that I was sorry for misleading her, about the kind of person I am now and that she had been a means to an end".

He glanced back at Michonne, calculatingly. "I kissed her at the party you know-"

He would have continued but the tell-tale groans of approaching walkers interrupted him. He looked back towards the gate which was barely visible from where they stood between the large gap of the trees and the wall. They had been walking for a while now, he looked to where the guard tower was located. He knew Sasha was there but he could barely see her, only the outline of where she stood. Something glimmered several times, from side to side, realising that she had seen him looking over, he guessed that she was probably waving at him. He returned the gesture and turned back to Michonne who had already dispatched the two walkers without breaking a sweat, although some of the blood found its way onto her tight, figure hugging, blue coloured jeans. When his eyes finally found her face, he was taken aback by the gleeful expression she wore but was trying to mask it, unsuccessfully he might add judging by the display of conflicting emotions that fleeted across her face.

He looked at her expectantly.

Michonne sighed, "Is it bad that I felt just a tiny bit excited by that?"

"I know what you mean", he agreed, "I felt the same way when I killed that walker that night. And the ones I have killed since we have been here".

Michonne felt conflicted, she didn't want to say she missed being out here, because she didn't. "But what does it say about us", she puzzled, looking genuinely disturbed as she looked down at her katana, worriedly. The blood dripping off of it was so reminiscent of the night at the meeting. Her breathing slowed down and almost stopped when in between blinks, she saw Reg laying on the ground at her feet. In his limp hands, he held Hershel's head. Michonne blinked rapidly and felt the hand holding the sword, shake.

"Michonne!" Rick shouted, his heart pounding when she remained caught up in some nightmarish haze, a look he recognised all too well. He hesitated to touch her in case she reacted…defensively.

Initially, she heard Rick's voice as if he were talking to her under a body of water, eventually she surfaced from the nightmarish daydream, gasping as if she were trying to catch her breath. She didn't dare look at Rick, she was beyond embarrassed. She steeled herself, cleaned the katana and re-sheathed it, all in silence and without looking at him. She remained standing when the non-time consuming task was done. She looked up, her gaze skittered everywhere but at him, she repeated Rick's earlier actions of looking at her surroundings and at the guard tower.

She cleared her throat. "We might need another look-out tower here", she said softly, not facing Rick. She felt like she was about to cry, she swallowed repeatedly and furiously at the lump in her throat. After what she had been through, two measly walkers and a man she hardly knew, was her undoing! To her horror she felt hot tears on her cheeks, she wiped them away angrily but they continued to fall and inevitably, loud, angry sobs escaped.

She vaguely felt herself being directed toward the tree line and she guessed, out of sight. The strong hands on her shoulders pushed her turn her whole body around until she stood facing Rick. He didn't say anything, instead, she felt herself being pulled into his embrace. She thought about fighting it but just let it happen, too mentally and emotionally exhausted to control her body.


	4. Chapter 4: One thing about me

**A/N:** Hey guys, once again, thank you for your reviews and very interesting, hilarious p.o.v's.

 **Guest:** Well, the Michonne and Carol dynamic is something I have begun exploring in this chapter and hopefully you'll enjoy the scene. As for Team family taking sides, will see. And a Richonne kiss is on the horizon, by the end of this chapter, well close to the end of this chapter all pretence is gone.

Chapter 4

Michonne had stopped crying a while ago and was now relatively calm until she felt the nature of Rick's embrace _change_. She wasn't exactly sure when his arms had moved from the middle of her back, to having one hand making soothing circular motions. The other hand had snaked its way up to the nape of her neck, his fingers buried in her locs. It was his fingers buried in her hair that startled her back to reality and she tried to slowly extricate herself from his arms. Placing both of her hands on his chest, she tried to step away from him but his fingers remained buried in her hair, the hand on her back moved to settle firmly on her waist. She looked up at him, questioningly.

"Are you okay?" he whispered in concern. Tilting her head, he brought his face closer so her face looked up at him, his eyes probing.

She nodded unable to speak, having not fully absorbed the effects of her little incident, she was instead otherwise distracted by her heart. She wondered if he could feel it's pounding rhythm considering how close they were to each other. His eyes were a darker shade of blue up-close and there was a subtle shift in them when their gazes met. His stare seemed to intensify as his eyes darted down to her lips and remained fixated there for a moment too long.

Michonne felt unbelievably turned on as she waited with bated breath, anticipating what would happen next, the blood thrumming in her veins seemed to be rushing towards some conclusion. The last time that this had happened, it had culminated into nothing and they had proceeded to ignore the moment had ever existed. She watched her hand in fascination (almost as if it was an out-of-body experience) as she placed light, feathery, touches along his jaw, the feel of his growing stubble making her tremble. Her eyes darted up to his and she was met with Rick's heated gaze as she rubbed her thumb against his jaw. She draw in a shaky breath when he groaned.

The sound shocked her out of her enthrallment, her treacherous brain reminding her of the conversation they had been having before her little freak-out. Jessie. He had been talking about her and just like that, the pleasure that had been coiling in her abdomen dissipated leaving an empty, unsatisfied echo of what could have been.

Rick tamped down his disappointment when he felt Michonne's hand fall from his face and she made another attempt to pull away from him. It probably hadn't been the right time to make his move, bearing in mind that she had been crying a few minutes ago. He gave her some space, not much though, unwilling to increase the distance between as he sensed the walls going up. He was certain they had almost kissed. It had been in the way she had touched him, sensual in a way that defined her appeal. The way she had looked at him, her eyes shimmering with residual tears but also with a hunger that left him breathless. He watched unhappily as she averted her gaze, her hands came up and she wrapped them around herself.

He tried to cup her chin to make her look at him but she must have recognised his intentions and withdraw from him before he could touch her. Twigs and dead leaves crackled under her feet as she stepped away. He stopped moving, his hand hanging in the open space between them, uselessly. He closed his fist, and let it fall to his side as he stared at her in bewilderment.

"Are you okay?" he repeated.

Michonne didn't immediately respond to his question, she stared through the opening in the greenery, back at the community's fortified walls. She wondered if he knew what he was asking; whether he was talking about the vivid hallucination she had been subjected to, or that they had _almost_ kissed. _Again_.

"No, not really" she answered him honestly. She adjusted the strap of the sheathed sword and made to walk away.

Seeing her about to leave their hiding spot made Rick panic, he tried not to let the feeling of rejection take root and to think about what she might have been going through in that very moment. Them kissing- almost kissing, was bad timing.

"Are we not going to talk about what just happened", he blurted out. He ran his fingers through his hair, and let out a strangled sound of frustration when she didn't even look at him. "I want to understand but I don't, Michonne. You demand that I be honesty with you but why can't you just be as open with me, as I'm trying to be with you!" he bit out.

Michonne paused, she considered explaining the horror of what she had seen but felt overwrought by the turbulent emotions coursing through her. Some annoyance trickled through, _he was one to talk about sharing and being honest considering his little secret shenanigans since they got here, ones that nearly had him exiled_. She took a moment to compose herself, then looked at Rick who hadn't moved. Under the darkness of the shade he looked just a little bit cold and unyielding.

"Don't put this on me", she said stiffly, "just because you are being-". She stopped herself before she could finish the sentence, realising that she was letting her fear and anger dictate her tongue before her mind had a chance to catch up. She sighed, shifting from one foot to the other. "Let's not talk about it right now, okay?"

Rick could see that she was shaken up and didn't want her to withdraw any further, he left the covering of the woods, the sun beating down on his face warmed him as he watched her fidget, looking so unlike herself.

"Okay", he agreed easily. He wasn't going to push her but he wasn't going to let it go either. "For now I'll let it go but we are going to talk about that". His hand gestured carelessly to where the two walkers lay dismembered. Then his finger pointed at her and himself a couple of times as he spoke. "And we are going to talk about what almost happened here and that, Michonne, I assure you I will not easily forget". He narrowed his eyes meaningfully at her.

Michonne was entranced by the look in his eyes, her stomach did double flips into places that shouldn't be physically possible to exist within her. She nodded at him and walked away.

Rick watched her walk away, enjoying the view she presented but an ominous feeling settled within him, making him question if he had made the right call.

* * *

They had left at the crack of dawn and it was now late in the afternoon when they finally made it back to Alexandria. Michonne walked with Glenn and Tara as they made their way home, relieved that their first supply run after the disasters they had endured, had been mostly uneventful. Another death would have been detrimental to the group's emotional and mental stability. She rhythmically tapped the strap of the Beretta semi-auto rifle that she had slung over her shoulder as thoughts of her own mental stability slithered into her conscience. The look on Glenn's face when he had seen her that morning, had been filled with confusion as he took in her issued gun and the evidently missing weapon that had been on her person for several days now.

Thankfully, he hadn't asked any questions as she had closed the door to the house, quietly- hoping that Rick was still asleep. She had successfully managed to avoid Rick these past few days, and whenever they had been in the room together, she had made sure they hadn't been alone. It was juvenile of her to be acting this way and had initially not meant to do so. She had thought that she would work through what had happened, why she had envisioned a dying Reg and Hershel's head. Then she would talk to Rick about it but the more she ruminated on these thoughts, the more she was afraid of appearing weak or being viewed as a liability.

The _almost kiss_ , well, beyond admitting that she had wanted to find comfort in Rick's arms, she had not allowed herself to dwell in the moment in fear of wanting more than what Rick was willing to give her. She had already accepted that she had feelings for him a while ago. An admission to herself wasn't as a big of deal as compared to the actual act of following it through and then dealing with the consequences on her own. Ideally- before Jessie happened- she hadn't thought Rick could be that kind of man who jumped from one woman to the next. She wanted something meaningful.

So she had avoided him like the plague and she had clearly seen how frustrating it was to him, every time she thwarted his attempt to talk privately. It was an added bonus that since the two factions of the community were now trying to work together, and so he had taken up his role as a constable again, this time his duties more defined than they had been previously. This kept kept him busy enough.

She had no doubt that he would be angry when she got back but it had been important to her, to go on this run. She had to make sure it didn't happen again, that it had been a one off, a residual effect of picking up the katana again after going so long without it. Admittedly she had been afraid to risk a repeat by taking it with her, but she had handled the walkers just as effortlessly with the gun as she did with the sword but it hadn't felt the same. The gun was too loud and drew unwanted attention especially in moments where she had been forced to open fire. After their successful expedition, she had decided that she was ready to face him.

She remained deep in thought as they walked through the street, she didn't notice the looks of concern that Glenn and Tara threw her before they branched off and headed for their own homes. She walked up the steps, the novelty of having her own home again- in this post-apocalyptic walking dead world- hadn't worn off. As she walked closer toward the door, she saw Rick and Judith engaging in what looked like a choppy version of a waltz. She couldn't help but smile at the harmonious picture they made. She steeled herself as her fingers curled around the door handle, took a deep steadying breath and walked into a potential war zone.

Rick spun around on his heel as he heard the sound of the door being opened, Judith who had been relaxed in his arms as she drifted in and out of sleep was now wide awake, bouncing in his arms excitedly, her chubby arms outstretched toward a dirty looking Michonne. Juxtaposed to his daughter's unrestrained joy at seeing her, he on the other hand was livid.

"Would you look at that Judy, guess whose home." His lips curled up as he sneered at her. He glared at her daringly when her steps faltered at the entrance to the room. "Well, welcome home, Michonne. You took off so early in the morning that I barely saw you, although, I was surprised to see that you left your sword".

Michonne held up her hands in surrender as she walked toward them. "I know. _I know_." Michonne wasn't really shocked by the cold reception, on some level she did deserve it. She greeted Judith who was trying to crawl from her father's arms, into hers but she settled for patting her head whilst she peppered her with tiny kisses. "Let me get cleaned up Judy, then we can play", she cooed at her.

Rick who was watching her with mounting frustration wasn't appeased by her immediate submission. He watched her with conflicting emotions as she babbled nonsensical gibberish with his daughter- whom responded in kind. On one hand he was glad to see her back in one piece and on the other hand, he was outraged that she had gone on this run after what had happened a few days ago. She had been avoiding him, he had known instantly on that very same day when they had returned to the house from their patrol. She had immediately gone to visit Maggie and Sasha, taking Judy with her before he could say anything.

He had tried to talk to her on several occasions, then resorted desperately to finding ways of cornering her, such an opportunity had risen after one of the council meetings were the different sides had argued on end about them keeping their guns on hand. As they had walked into the house, victoriously holding their weapons, discussing the planned run for supplies the following day. He had tried again to get her to talk and she had slithered her way out of it, claiming she had a throbbing headache from arguing with Deanna's people.

"Michonne", he hissed.

She glanced up at him acknowledging the serious tone in his voice, she gave Judith one last kiss, straightened her posture and waited. She leaned back in surprised when Rick swooped down to her level, his piercing eyes locked onto hers as his head moved minutely from side to side with each word he spoke.

"God help me if you take off again today like a little girl. I'll tie your ass to my bed and you won't be leaving for a very long time", he snarled, his eyes glittering.

A resounding silence followed him as he left the room.

Michonne was left speechless as she watched him walk away with a swagger toward the kitchen, with Judith still babbling in his arms, oblivious to the tension in the room.

* * *

Michonne made her way towards the stairs feeling refreshed and ready for the talk with Rick or to take him on, considering the mood he was in. She was surprised when Carl almost knocked her over when she turned the corner to go down the stairs. She steadied herself against the wall as he skid to a stop before her.

"Michonne!"

She grinned, happy to see him as she had barely seen him that morning, what with trying to sneak out of the house before Rick woke up.

"Hello stranger, where are you coming from in such a hurry?" She was intrigued by the reddening colour of his cheeks as he blushed. She raised an inquisitive brow at him.

Carl looked behind him, along the corridor seemingly in the direction of his father's room, then looked back at her shiftily.

"I want to talk to you about something", he whispered as he stepped closer.

Michonne's grin widened, the telling blush and shady behaviour told her all she needed to know. She indicated with a finger that they could go to his room but he declined.

"Not now", he said as he walked away, "later".

"You bet your little skinny behind we are going to talk about it", she shouted rather gleefully, amused by the boyish expression that had been on his face.

She laughed, momentarily distracted from her own drama when his eyes widened at her before disappearing into his own room. She chuckled as she continued on her destination towards the kitchen. She had guessed from the delicious aromas emanating from the room that Carol was home and already preparing dinner. She walked in and greeted her quietly and checked if she needed help. She had every intention of walking out when she refused any assistance but was stopped in her sweet escape, before she even took a step towards the exit.

"Can we talk Michonne, I think it's time that we did, don't you think so", Carol asked rhetorically.

Michonne scowled at her snide tone but refrained from answering and just turned to face Carol with a neutral expression on her face. Carol was focused on her task of cutting up some herbs on the counter. She looked up when Michonne didn't respond, there must have been something she found in her face because her lips twisted into a knowing smile.

"I know you are not happy with me", she said in a singsong voice, "and I can take a guess that it has something to do with the events that took place last week". Her eyes twinkled as she took in the unchanging expression on her friend's face that revealed a lot more of what she was feeling more than she thought.

Michonne, piqued by her nonchalant attitude, narrowed her eyes at her. "What do you think?" she retorted. "I don't claim to know everything about you Carol or that I fully understand what motivates you most of the time but since we came here, I feel like you've became a different person. What's going on?" She leaned against the counter that separated them, her eyes focused on her face.

Carol turned to the sink to hide the expression on her face, she pretend to be focused on clearing the sink that was half-filled with dirty utensils and dishes. She spoke with her back to Michonne, her face hidden from view. "Daryl thought I was imagining it you know, but you kept on avoiding me, and there was this judgemental look in your eyes whenever our eyes met".

Michonne rolled her eyes in exasperation. "I'm not judging you, but I have been questioning the methods that you and Rick have employed since we got here. Aren't you happy…or at least relieved that we have found this place?" She gestured at their surroundings.

Carol hesitated, her eyes fixated on her hands as she cupped the soapy water and let it trickle from her fingers, back into the sink. "You know", she began conversationally as she reached for a dry cloth and wiped her hands. She rested against the sink as she faced Michonne, playing with the cloth between her fingers. "Since this group came together even at the beginning, inevitably something bad always happens. Wherever we go, wherever we have tried to settle and make a home for ourselves, shit always happens. So I decided to deal with it instead of always being the victim and being pushed around. I'll do whatever it takes to keep us here. To keep our family safe and intact", she said fiercely, the cloth gripped tightly in her fist.

Michonne looked at her thoughtfully her fingers playing with the ends of her locs. She took in her rigid posture and the dangerous, determined glint in her eyes. Before she had a chance to respond, Carol's demeanour changed suddenly and became brighter, her eyes were turned toward the entrance.

Michonne turned her head to see the Grimes family walking into the kitchen, she eyed Rick who cocked his head at her curiously, most likely sensing that something of significance had occurred before they had walked in. Michonne looked back at Carol, taking in her bright countenance with a shrewd understanding that she had been somehow inducted into Carol's web of secrets. She blinked in disbelief.


	5. Chapter 5: Lot of dirty work

A/N: Thank you for the love guys. I'ma go and drink now.

Chapter 5

The sun was yet to set- an orange hue filtered into the forest not too far from the community although it was not visible from this distance. He had been on one of his soul searching walks (this time with a knife in hand) when he stumbled upon them.

The events that had occurred these past two weeks had been instrumental towards getting to a point where he could forgive himself. Facing and taking responsibility for his failures had been a hard pill to swallow. His congregation had depended on him and now, he knew without a doubt, that he had condemned them to certain death. The darkest moment of his life had been begging Sasha to end his agony. They had prayed and after, felt restored and he believed there was a purpose to his survival.

He was wholeheartedly thankful to Rick and his people, they could have left him at the church or anywhere else along the journey but they hadn't abandoned him. Rick had barely tolerated him in the beginning and after his betrayal, he suspected that he might have wanted him drawn and quartered. He now regretted saying anything to Deanna, not because he didn't believe there was seriously something wrong with this family of survivors- laughably, he had believed himself better than them. Since that night, he had played a part in how things had gone down. This was his second chance at life, he would not abandon another group of people that needed him.

So he listened intently, he was pleased to have been lead here to help the leader of his group. He smiled gleefully and peered up at the sky from his hiding spot inside the tree, whispering a silent prayer of thanks. He waited until Deanna and Spencer were out of sight before stepping out. The decision to delay making his way back to the community was to allay any suspicions in case he had been spotted.

Walking into the gates approximately half an hour later, he caught sight of Sasha who appeared to be in a hurry. She held four additional sniper rifles to her own. He waved at her and she smiled briefly in his direction before heading towards the Munroe residence. His brow lowered, bothered by the fact that she and Spencer seemed to be _friends_ now, he had to admit it was probably a good thing they got along since they had to work so closely together these days. Among the new changes in Alexandria, one of them had the duo currently training new recruits to watch the newly constructed guard towers.

He figured the morsel of news he had overheard would help her to be more cautious of Spencer, so he continued walking, his pace quickened when he spotted Maggie just up ahead of him. She stopped walking when he called out to her.

They talked pleasantly until they reached her home, he was relieved when she invited him in without him having to ask. Once inside, he wasted no time in letting her know the real reason he had approached her. Understandably she was stunned and stared at him in disbelief, most likely unable to trust his word since his betrayal. She had him wait in the dining room as she went to find her husband. Settling himself in one of the wooden chairs, he felt calm and at peace with his decision, he was going to do right by Maggie and Sasha. These two had been pivotal in his new found meaning on life. He was startled out of his reverie at the sound of approaching footsteps, he stood when he saw Glenn and Maggie walk into the room and sat down on the other side of the table.

Glenn watched the man before him in curiosity. "Maggie told me what you said, I'm you understand if we just don't believe you", he insinuated. "So why are you doing this, why come and tell us". He glanced back at his wife and then to Father Gabriel. "Why should we believe you?" he asked, distrustful of the preacher's intentions.

He nodded in acknowledgement. "I don't expect any forgiveness, this is my way to begin atoning for my sins. You guys saved me…I had been dealing with my failures and lost my way but here, I have no one…" He trailed off, embarrassed. It was left unsaid but clearly understood by all, he was an outsider here and the people he felt most connected to, was with Rick's group.

Glenn sighed, he kneaded the muscle around his healing injury distractedly and stopped rather abruptly when he noticed the troubled expression on Maggie face, as her eyes focused on his actions. He hadn't even realised he was doing it. Again. He dropped his hand heavily on the table which she immediately claimed. He held on to her as he concentrated his gaze on the man before him.

"Can you repeat what you heard", he inquired.

Father Gabriel rested his hand on the table as he relayed the conspiracy he'd stumbled upon in the woods. "Deanna was complaining about all the new changes that Rick has been pushing for since they formed the council. She is not particularly happy about the new gun mandate, said it was reckless especially since all the members of _our_ group managed to get their weapons back. Her exact words were, _I know they have an ulterior motive, they still want this_ place for themselves", he revealed. He straightened his posture as his voice deepened, frown lines appearing around his mouth. "She wants Spencer to get close to the group. I don't know if that was their first meeting but I suspect his already started with Sasha".

I highly doubt Sasha is going to fall for that", scoffed Maggie, "and I don't think she is ready for _that_ just yet".

" _Still",_ he stressed, meaningfully.

"Yeah, I guess", she conceded, unnerved by the inner workings of Deanna's mind. "Why come to us with this, why not go directly to Rick with this information", she asked, wondering if he aware of their leader's animosity towards him. The incredulous look he threw her proved that he assumed just as much.

"Anything else?" Glenn asked.

He shook his head negatively.

Maggie turned to her husband, "you have to tell him"

"No freaking way!" Saying Rick would not react well would be an understatement, he wasn't exactly the picture of serenity and this would send him over the edge. Granted that he seemed less high strung these days, it was most likely due to the fact he was getting to partly run the show. He smiled grimly at the irony of it all.

Maggie stared at him, she looked at Father Gabriel who also seemed surprised. "You want to keep this from him, I don't think that's a good idea", she fretted. "If he finds out later, which he will, this will blow up in our faces".

"I know", Glenn said, tensely. He ran a hand through his hair in frustration and then he massaged his shoulder, the jolt of pain when he pressed just a little bit too hard jarred him, as he thought of a solution. "Maybe, we keep this news between us". He pierced Father Gabriel with a warning look but he only bowed his head in agreement. "And when we get the chance, will let Michonne and maybe Daryl know and then will decide how to tell Rick".

The impromptu meeting disbanded soon after that.

* * *

It was much later into the night and well after a satisfying dinner that Michonne found herself sort-of relaxing on the couch in the living room, with her legs taking up the length of the two-sitter and a blanket covering them. She stared at the comic book in her lap, her eyes barely taking in the colourful graphics on the page because she was preoccupied with thoughts of Rick, she had been waiting for a little while now for him to make it back downstairs. Not knowing the outcome of this evening caused a nervous energy to seep into her bones, she winced as her pulse quickened. Reading the comic book had been an attempt to calm herself down, a partial successful mission only that her mind kept drifting off.

He had told her that he would join her, as soon as he managed to make Judith sleep in the cot situated in Carl's room. Her big brother also having gone to bed a while ago after their friendly debate centred on the comic book in her lap. She had no idea where Carol had disappeared to, most likely in her lair of secrets and doom, possibly cooking up more havoc in her cauldron. She giggled at the ridiculous thought then immediately clapped her hand over her mouth to stifle the flow. She really shouldn't be laughing considering what Carol had actually been telling her. She frowned as she fingered the pages of the comic and considered how she had been shaped by the loss of Andre, and her anger at Mike. Loss had played a role in her life, she was fully aware that Carol had also lost her own child right at the beginning. Intuitively, she sensed other losses there and suspected other issues at work, for her to be so obsessively and dangerously protective.

A feeling that someone was watching her, made her suddenly look up to find Rick standing at the foot of the stairs, watching her. She wondered when he had made it down without her knowing, tiny pinpricks of nervous energy shoot through her as he approached. Clutching the comic book to her chest, she drew her knees up so that he could sit next to her. She was surprised when upon sitting down, he took a hold of her legs and rested them on his lap and pulled at the blanket so that it also covered him.

Her mind was racing at the nature of his hold, even more so, she was acutely aware of the close proximity of her legs to his groin. She shuddered when his fingers begin making patterns on her legs softly, his touch left a searing trail of heat through the tights she wore. She scrutinised the hand as it moved under the blanket, fascinated by his forward behaviour. Without ever discussing it, their level of physical contact had gradually increased.

Two different emotions fought for dominance within her; on one hand it, she liked the intimacy, it made her feel good- it was a huge contrast from the days when they had been separated by more than fence. The downside was, she was unable to just accept it, she preferred things to be defined and explained so that assumptions weren't made. They definitely needed to talk first but she was reluctant to move away from him.

"What are you thinking about?" Rick asked her unexpectedly, his head turned at an angle to look at her face.

"That we should really talk and you need to stop what you are doing with your hands", she pointed out, playfully.

Rick looked away from her, smirking, he didn't remove his hands but moved it higher and rested it against her knee.

He felt the smile on his lips fade away as his eyes caught the glint of the nails that were still nailed onto the wall, above the fire place. "Why did you leave your sword"- was his non sequitur. Thoughts of how he had felt that morning when he woke up assaulted him all at once. He had been angry at first that she had gone out, then he had feared for her safety, what if she had zoned out at an inopportune moment and got hurt- worse yet, bitten. What would he do then?

Michonne was unable to meet his gaze, she knew he wouldn't think her weak or treat her any differently but the niggling thought that he would judge her, manifested within her. She glanced down at the book in her hands as she talked, absentmindedly tracing the drawing on the cover. "That day I…I think, seeing blood on the sword again, somehow- and don't ask to me to explain it coz I have no bloody clue", she mused. She wondered what had been different about those kills.

Her eyes darted up to Rick as she spoke, wanting to see his reaction. "I saw Reg and Hershel right there at my feet, it was very brief but also, very brutal". She easily read the shock in his expression at her confession.

"What?" he exploded in bewilderment, unable to restrain the intensity of his reaction. He hadn't expected that. Not. At. All.

Michonne flinched as she felt the grip on her knee tighten and then relax not a second later. She said nothing but pulled her legs closer to her, bringing her knees up. It felt good to have said it but admitting that she may be have a problem that she couldn't solve, was frightening.

He turned his whole body to her, his leg coming to rest on the couch at an angle, the other remained situated firmly on the ground, his left hand coming to rest above the head-rest. To say that he was surprised would have been an understatement mostly because Michonne gave nothing away. She had been highly distressed to be sure, but the cause of it, he certainly hadn't guessed it.

"Has this never happened before?" He asked curiously, when she shook her head in the negative, he felt relieved for her but it worried him that she wouldn't look at him.

"Why didn't you tell me", he questioned, his eyes boring into the side of her face.

Michonne was overcome with a sense of shame and anger, she shoot him a displeased look. "Because it makes me look weak!" She hissed, a shaky finger pointed at her chest.

Her response caught him off guard that he scoffed in derision. He narrowed his eyes at her. "Have I ever made you feel that way, for all my faults, I've never thought you weak. Ever", he declared. Although he didn't know everything about her, he knew without any doubt that she wasn't weak nor did she lack any confidence, she definitely prided herself on her ability to fight and protect those she cared for.

"Is that why you have been avoiding me?" When she nodded, he heaved a sighed. "Unbelievable!"

"I know it was stupid, coz deep down I knew you wouldn't think that", she groused, "but I was scared and worried that it wasn't a one off thing and it didn't happen on the run, so there's that".

Rick was quiet as he thought about what she had said, he didn't want to point out that something had made her leave her sword behind. She had to know that the sword was possibly a trigger. He thought back to a time when things hadn't made much sense to him either. When his own mind had played tricks on him.

"I don't remember much from that day" he began, "but I distinctly remember seeing you getting out of that bus you'd sometimes stay in when you had just finished your night watch, back at the prison…"

Michonne stared at him in amazement as she realised what he was talking about. She remembered climbing out of that bus to be met with Rick, running past her with an anxious look on his face, and out of the gates, even _forgetting_ to close them as he ran out. _Rick_.

"I remember", she said quietly, not mentioning how strange he had appeared standing there by himself on that bridge, talking and touching the space before him.

Rick who had been gazing at a point just above her head as he thought back to when he had lost Lori, what the grief and denial had done to his state of mind. He slid his eyes from the wall to her understanding gaze.

"I had been angry at her for months, and then she died as I was starting to sort out my feeling for her. I didn't even get a chance to say goodbye and then out of the blue, I started seeing her everywhere…at one time, I even talked to her on the phone", he admitted. His heart thudded painfully, he had never told anyone but Hershel about that, even then, not the full extent of it.

Her heart went out to him, there was still some pain there, she thought. She pulled the hand that had been on top of the head rest and settled it between them with his hand clasped tightly in hers. It seemed almost natural for her, in that moment, to tell him about her own wounds. "I lost a son, when all of this began", she whispered. Her mind told her to put the walls back up, _she had shared enough with this man_ , that, she was just setting herself up for a long fall. She listened to her heart instead, and told him everything.

Rick did not outwardly react as she spoke about her son Andre, afraid that if he moved an inch, she would change her mind. For a while now, he had suspected that something terrible must have happened in her life to make her so closed off and reluctant to commit to the community life they had been building at the prison. Even though they had become friends, it always felt like she would one day, up and leave if she so decided that she had had enough. So he had pretended that it didn't bother him when she would go out looking for the governor, especially when it became apparent that the trail had gone cold a couple of months into the search. Daryl had said as much to him.

Her throat felt raw with unshed tears after talking about Andre (her precious little angel), not because she still grieved for him, but that she missed him terribly. She glanced at Rick and saw the shimmering layer of tears in his eyes. Her lips wobbled as she tried to smile, she bit the bottom lip to stop it for trembling and almost laughed at how predictable Rick was. It the middle of all this angst, his gaze still drifted to her lips. She laughed shakily and shook the hand that she still held, to divert his one track mind.

Rick looked at her weirdly. "Why you laughing?"

She shook her head at him and refused to answer that question but thought about what had just transpired between them, how the talk of Lori and Andre had come up. "So you think I'm going crazy", she asked, with a raised voice.

It took Rick a minute to catch up, his mind having briefly conjured up certain images all to do with a certain pair of lips. "No. I think you…we've all been through a whole load of shit and the effect of that may be starting to rear its ugly head", he pointed out.

"So I'm crazy", she stated matter-of-factly with a heavy sigh.

"I didn't say that", he objected, "And I wouldn't go that far, you've coped the best you could on your own, but you are not alone, anymore, you've got to stop thinking like that. Let me in, let me help you", he pleaded. He watched as she took his words in, her expression drawn and severe, clearly thinking his words over. He decided to bring his point home- right up to the finish line, it may have been inappropriate considering the seriousness of the topic but he just wanted to make her laugh. _Go big or go home, he thought._ "You are not alone, I am here with you. Your burdens I will bear, but first I need your hand then forever can begin…" he trailed off, grinning to himself wondering if she would catch on.

Michonne squinted at him. "Did you just quote MJ's song to me?" She tried to remain serious but she burst out laughing as she leaned in and slapped his chest.

Rick smiled as he saw the worried look leave her eyes as she laughed at his bad joke. He looked down at the hand that was resting on his chest. He didn't think she even realised what she was doing but he was completely aware of her every touch, particularly when she initiated it. He'd always been a tactile person, better at showing than telling. He covered her hand with his and kept it there. Now that they had in part discussed one of their most important and outstanding issues, there was another pressing matter. His eyes focused on her, his gaze taking in the beautiful picture she presented.

"I want to kiss you", Rick confessed, ardently.

Michonne stopped laughing rather abruptly, her eyes drawn to his chest where their hands were joined. A frisson of excitement went through her. "I know", she breathed.

Rick made to move, and take her into his arms but hesitated before the thought was fully formed and sat back, he wanted to make sure she also wanted this. "Do you want me to?" he croaked, thinking that if she said no, he wouldn't know what to do.

Michonne recognised the look he was giving her, her mouth suddenly felt dry and she nodded jerkily. In a flurry of movement, Rick adjusted his position as she moved at the same time to sit on his lap, the blanket went unnoticed as it fell to the floor. She pressed her thighs on either side of his legs, even though their clothes separated them, an awareness of being open to him invaded her senses. She watched him from under her eyelashes, and was drawn in by the intensity of his gaze.

Rick wanted to tell her that the look she was giving him, made him want to lose control. He ran his thumb across her bottom lip and watched in fascination as her pink tongue slipped out and licked his finger. He swallowed with some difficult, his breathing becoming laboured when she took his thumb into her hot mouth and sucked on it, her tongue swirling around it. He stared down at her wide, knowing eyes as she released the digit with a popping sound. Control be damned! He buried his fingers into her hair and brought her face closer, her eyes fluttered shut and her lips pouted. Rick accepted the invite and captured her lips in a hot, frenzied, messy, kiss. He groaned in pleasure when she pressed herself against his hardening cock.

 _I can't believe we are doing this_? The thought kept replaying itself in her mind, almost distracting and detracting her from fully enjoying the physical sensations she was experiencing. Part of her knew that they hadn't really talked about _this_ but she could hardly stop herself as she kissed Rick back, her arms crossing behind him and resting on his back. She made a pact with herself, there and there, that they'd only stop at kissing. Going further than that wasn't something she felt emotionally ready for yet.

His mouth and tongue were doing things to her, she hadn't felt this way for a long time. It had been accidental and she hadn't meant to do it but she found herself grinding against him, trying to relieve the throbbing ache between her legs, it seemed to unfurl into a delicious sensation when she made contact. She pulled away from his lips as she moaned loudly. Her eyes opened lazily to find Rick's hungry, questioning eyes and his swollen lips.

She smiled coyly at him as she rocked her hips against his hardened length, again and again, already forgetting the promise she had made to herself, too caught up in the moment. She was beyond rationalizing her actions now, especially when his hands cupped the globes of her ass and roughly moved her even closer. She touched the side of his face, her fingers grazing his barely-there-beard, enjoying the feel of it against the palm of her hand. She loved touching his face, she thought hazily. Her lips parted slightly as she brought his face closer to resume their fiery kisses as he met her thrust for thrust. She rode high on the precipice of a huge fall, wondering why she had waited so long to do this. She cried out as she came, his name on her lips, she buried her head in the curve of his neck to muffle her scream.

Rick followed not far behind, his body taut as he tried to prolong the moment but eventually giving in to the high. He lay there in a euphoric haze, his eyes closed and his arms around Michonne who lay on top of him. A very familiar, and yet, different emotion overcame him as he opened his eyes to find big brown eyes, gazing intently at him and a lazy smile curled at her lips. Yep. He was fucked.

* * *

The following day, sometime close to mid-afternoon, Michonne walked into the kitchen spotting a huge smile on her face, she'd been trying to dial it back since she woke up that morning but her efforts had been in vain. Judging by the knowing look Maggie and Rosita had given her as they walked back home at the completion of their shift on patrol, they had known that something was different.

She couldn't help but feel different, even if they hadn't actually done the deed- she wasn't ready for that step yet. It hadn't been that long since she had started seeing him as more than a friend. Rick had also seemed satisfied with the level of intimacy they had shared, granted she had promptly commenced on operation: _act like a complete weirdo_. Rick's status in her life was now irrevocably changed and she had been still trying to wrap her mind around that revelation when they parted last night.

He certainly had been more playful after, teasing her, though there was a lingering sense of awkwardness that had hung in the air between them. Her smile faded when she remembered her idiotic behaviour. She had extended her hand to him for a handshake, like, _what the hell!_ He had every right to give her a weirded-out look as he hesitantly shook it. She had been beyond embarrassed, escaping to her room as fast as she could, without appearing to be running away. Her cheeks warmed up at the memory.

They hadn't had enough time in the morning, before Rick had to leave the house for constable duty. There had been so many people at their breakfast table that morning- their friends having come over to rehash details of yesterday's run- that they hadn't had a chance to talk. For example, what did humping each other on the living room couch whilst fully clothed even mean?

Michonne did not want to overthink the situation, with some effort, she pushed the thoughts to the back of her mind and focused on getting herself a late lunch. She found Carl already situated in the kitchen, he was sitting by the counter as he consumed what looked like a can of beans with a large, uneven chunk of bread. She greeted him quite loudly and gaily. It took her a minute to realise that he hadn't responded. In fact, as she turned away from the cabinet where she had been reaching for a mug, she watched him as he ate, his movements seemed almost mechanical in their hand to plate and then mouth, actions. She stepped forward and rested her hands on the island counter between them and eyed him with interest.

"Carl?" she called again. When he remained seemingly in his own world, his eyes focused on the plate before him, she slapped her hand on the counter a couple of times to get his intention. Carl jumped, appearing to have been shocked back to reality and almost fell off the chair.

Lowering her head to his eye level, she tried to connect with him as she felt herself begin to worry.

"Hey, hey", she said gently. Walking around the counter, she grabbed a bar stool to sit beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder to make him, to look at her. "What happened to you, all that excitement and blushing from yesterday…did something happen?"

Carl kept his eyes focused on the counter unable to look Michonne in the eye. Knowing what he knew now, he regretted his presumptions actions from yesterday. He couldn't tell Michonne- and no fuckin' way was he telling his father until he was hundred percent certain of what he had been witness to. So as he sat there clutching the soft bread in his palm, he silently coached himself relax and school his features. To buy himself more time, he tried to remember what he had been feeling (yesterday) and try to re-enact those feelings, was certainly difficult.

"No, not really", he finally responded with a strained smile, his eyes darted to her then turned back to his plate to continue eating. _Unless you count the fact that I followed Enid into the forest after I told her repeatedly not to return there, and she had agreed_. "It's just Enid…" he trailed off, his tone just suggestive enough. He couldn't bring himself to be bashful or shy because his emotions were so far removed from the warm fuzzy feelings of yesterday.

Michonne said nothing, waiting for him to elaborate, she had a vague sense that she wasn't getting the whole truth.

"Well, I…I kissed her yesterday".

Michonne gaped at him, not having expected him to tell her as much but she punched his shoulder lightly. "Is that it?" She asked relieved that it hadn't been something serious. "You were sitting here looking so miserable. I thought it was something drastic unless you kiss like a fish", she teased.

"Ha ha, very funny, of course not!" Carl defended, momentarily forgetting the real reason he was upset. "She told me today that she is with Ron and that she wasn't interested in messing that up, especially with _me_ ". Carl's thoughts turned dark as he thought about the real reason why she didn't want to be involved with the son of a crazy gun waving, dangerous man.

"Ah, your dad…he may have ruined some friendships there", she remarked, she squeezed his shoulder where her hand was still resting, to offer some comfort or an apology.

"Yeah", he agreed with a sigh, it was partly true. He kept his gaze averted, his mind taking him back to what he had seen back in the forest.

Enid, had with no difficulty, taken down a walker that had been coming towards her, with great agility. _This was the same girl who threw clocks at walkers to distract them whilst she ran away_. On spying the walker ambling its way toward her, he had been about to reveal himself to help her out- when she had surprisingly kicked at its knee with such force that it went down. She had proceeded to produce a knife and plunged it repeatedly into the walker's head. Although that had been astonishing enough, his world seemed to come to a stop when she knelt down beside the walker. With the knife still in her hand, she carved out something on its forehead. He had known- although he had been too far away to see what she was doing exactly, _he had known_. With a sick feeling gnawing at his heart, he had waited until she had walked away and disappeared in the general direction of where the community was located.

"I don't really have friends anymore", he said honestly as he looked Michonne in the eye. _One of them has been avoiding me since dad killed his father, and the other, well I think carving the letter W on a dead walker puts a damper on things, don't it._ He wondered why his inner voice oddly sounded like Carol.


	6. Chapter 6: You never know

A/N: Thank you for the love. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 6

Michonne was about to sit down next to a less than chatty Carl with her own plate of food when she was abruptly startled by the sound the front door made, as it hit the wall. Dropping her plate on the counter, she firmly pressed a hand on Carl's shoulder before he could get up and investigate. Raising her hand above her right shoulder, she reached for her katana but came up with air, she frowned. In her peripheral vision, she could see her rifle on the bench top near the stove. For one frightening, solitary second, she racked through her brain trying to remember when she had removed it from her person and just left it there.

Having made sure that Carl had listened to her and was out of sight, she darted to the wall near the entrance to the kitchen. She aligned her body in such a way that she would be able to intercept the intruder as soon as they walked into the room.

"Michonne!"

Her eyes widened in relief but Tara's alarmed tone did not allow for her to completely relax. She peered at her from her hiding spot, then signaled to Carl that it was safe to emerge. Tara almost bumped into her as she skidded into the kitchen, she watched her in trepidation as she stored away her handgun into its holster.

"Is something wrong?" Michonne looked from the gun that was now safely secured and then up at Tara.

"We gotta go, its Rick", Tara urged them, already backtracking out of the room.

"What?" she asked, tersely. A feeling of dread jolted her into action when she realized that she was already walking away. She quickly grabbing her own gun and caught up with her as they both left the house, with Carl in tow.

"What is Dad doing now?" Carl demanded, slamming his hat on his head. Thoughts of Enid's activities leaving his mind momentarily.

Michonne nodded her head at Carl agreeing with him on some level. The last time someone had come to her in such a state, she had found Rick in the middle of a situation she didn't care to repeat but she trusted that Rick didn't want to go _there,_ either.

"He found something at the gates and he told me to: _get_ _Michonne ASAP!_ ", she parroted, her voice deepening at the end as she attempted to mimic Rick's voice and urgency. "I didn't see what it was though", she added.

Michonne and Carl shared a look of relief behind her back.

They walked past the other residents who were huddled in small groups, talking to each other and pointing towards the gate that was a couple of blocks away. Some people were walking into their houses, curtains being drawn shut whilst the more curious residents walked alongside them, speeding up when they heard raised voices.

There was a large crowd when they got there but they managed to squeeze their way through the throng, Michonne barely had to fight her way through, everyone just seemingly moved out of her way when she approached. Her eyes were focused on Rick who was crouched on the ground, she followed his line of sight and was shocked when her gaze connected with a _dead_ walker. Just the head of a walker, it had been detached from its body in a rather gruesome manner. She flinched when she felt something tapping against her shin, relaxing, when she noticed that it was Rick's hand that was touching her leg. His fingers curled around her leg pressed and against her briefly before he removed them.

"Check this out." Rick tilted the head with a knife so that it looked up, showing Michonne what he'd found. He squinted up at her to see her reaction to the fantastic discovery he'd made. _Life just kept on giving didn't it_ _he thought_ , feeling disgruntled at the latest issue to rear its ugly head. Literally.

Stunned, she froze as her eyes zeroed in on the _W_ engraved into its head, she looked to Rick in disbelief and then at Daryl (whom had only arrived on the scene at that very moment), speechless.

"What the fuck!" Daryl shifted closer to Michonne, he transferred his bow to his other shoulder, so as to peer over Rick and eyeball the thing on the ground.

The three of them exchanged loaded glances that were filled with apprehension and resignation. They knew what this group was capable of; the distraction they had wrought in Noah's town and from the well thought out, set-ups, they were clearly planning for something big and nightmarish. Why else would they go through the trouble devising ways of trapping a large number of walkers and for what sinister purpose? It was clear from Morgan's story that they didn't have any qualms in taking whatever they wanted.

Rick stood up feeling angry that something like this had happened considering all the improvements they were making to this community. This place that he had recently started thinking of as his home and this had to happen. Someone had walked into his home with that head, dropped it here and no one had fucking noticed. Bull. Shit!

He tensed up when he saw Deanna approaching, things had been a little heated between them since the council had been formed. It was a matter of time before things came to a head and he was determined to be on top. He steeled himself, preparing for a lack of total, utter, incompetence. He'd be damned if the lives of his family and friends were placed in jeopardy.

Michonne couldn't help but feel that the look on Deanna's face, was filled with unwarranted suspicion when her eyes looked between the walker and Rick. She greatly sympathized with this woman who had lost two members of her family in less than a week, she could relate to that kind of pain and loss. In addition to that, she had to force herself to let go of some of the ideals she had and adjust her belief system to match the tragic viciousness of the world they now lived in. Although she tried to hide it in the meetings whenever they fought each other to implement new security measures, she still stubbornly clung to her idyllic views. Lately though, she appeared to have become _less vocal_ in her protests, suspiciously so.

Spencer glanced briefly at Rick and his people, even though most of them were not in attendance, the ones who were there, formed a rather formidable force. The idea of hashing out this issue were everyone could see- see that their leader was not coping, _and doing_ _things he didn't exactly agree with…_

"How did it get in here?" Deanna asked pointedly, looking directly at the man she partially blamed for bringing disaster into her home. "Someone had to bring it in, unless you think my son here". She gestured towards Spencer whose eyes widened at his mother and then looked over at the people who had gathered around them. "Who was manning the gates at the time, had something to do with it?" she asked in a dangerous tone.

Touching his mother's arm, he indicated with his head towards their home. "Maybe, this is a conversation best discussed within the council", he suggested softly.

"We deserve to know what's going on!" Someone in the crowd shouted, angrily. Several murmurs of agreement spread among the residents of Alexandria like a wild fire, their voices becoming louder when no one responded to their demands.

Rick, rolled his eyes, folding his arms in front of him and his lips pressed tightly together to prevent himself from voicing how he really felt about the whole thing. The only thing that stopped him from telling these people what special kind of idiots they were, was Michonne's presence. Funnily enough, she could probably guess at his thoughts judging by the hold she had on his wrist, her nails digging into his skin. He saw that Daryl had also noticed where her hand was resting.

Deanna took a deep breath in, using her son as a shield to prevent anyone from noticing that she was shaking. She closed her eyes, visualizing Reg's kind eyes, Aiden cheeky smile and felt the anger simmering within her, grow. Instead of inciting her further, it actually helped her to calm down. Once she was certain that she could speak without revealing her true feelings, she turned to the crowd and promised them the answers they wanted.

"We have our constable here, I'm sure he will do his best to investigate this crime and bring the perpetrator before us, tonight", she stated, in a matter-of-fact tone. "See you all at seven in the courtyard". Making sure that her only remaining family was at her side, she walked away without a backwards glance.

Rick eyed her retreating form in contempt.

Even though there were grumbles of discontent, everybody else walked away when it became clear that no one was going to say anything. Their eyes may have been now opened to what was going on in their own community, however, they remained oblivious to the bigger picture and that's what made Rick angry. They were training these people, some of them were willing but they all still thought these changes were unnecessary. In their minds there was no immediate danger and he didn't completely fault them for thinking that way, their ignorance lay at Deanna's feet.

The point of submitting to all of this fuckery- to a formation of a council- of being in a council in the first place, was that things would be different. He wanted things to be different for his people. He would not repeat his past mistakes. There was someone dangerous in this community, a threat that needed to be eliminated, he would find this asshole and kill them.

Michonne looked around for Carl, there was no sign of him anywhere. Earlier on, she had noticed him slinking off looking all the more visible when he was probably aiming for stealth. He was hiding something, she hoped that it had nothing to do with this. She motioned for Daryl to dispose of the walker as she gently nudged Rick to make his way back to the house. They walked close to each other in silence, she was well aware of every moment their hands brushed against each other. She felt his fingers stroke the inside of her wrist and she looked at him questioningly.

"What are you thinking about", he asked.

Michonne looked over her shoulder and spotted the faint outline of Deanna as she disappeared into another street. She turned back to Rick, feeling uneasy about sharing her thoughts.

She choose her words carefully. "It's just that, she reminds me of myself, during a dark period in my life. I did things…I don't regret them, but I was angry and I lashed out at the people closest to me".

Rick took that in, turning it over in his mind, he knew what she was trying to say. He'd gone through those moments himself, several times over. He remained silent, feeling conflicted at the thought of letting his guard down because he felt sorry for Deanna. After that fateful night at the meeting, he had hoped they'd reached a mutual understanding but she seemed to trust him less and less each day. She was in a dark place right now, she shouldn't be involved in making decisions and the fact that she still was, raised flags in his mind.

* * *

"Carl!" she yelled, as soon as they made their way through the door.

Rick looked at her oddly as he took off his windbreaker and hung it on the coat rack. He followed behind her into the living room where they found Carl lying face down on the couch.

 _Their couch_. He couldn't think of it in any other way, especially after what he and Michonne had shared on it, the other night. Although she had been warmer in affect and less awkward (at breakfast), he still didn't know why she had behaved in that way the night before. She had shook his hand like they had just completed a business transaction. Watching her right now, it didn't seem like anything had changed for her like it had for him but knowing her, he wasn't going to jump to any conclusions. He just had to make it crystal clear to her that this wasn't a one-time thing to him. He to know her in ways that no one else was privileged to.

Carl got to his feet, a contrite look on his face, he indicated to his father and Michonne to sit down

"I think, I'll stand for this", Michonne stated, firmly. She now knew that he knew something, why else would he have disappeared like that. She raised an eyebrow at him and narrowed her eyes. "Well", she demanded when he remained uncommunicative.

Rick looked between Michonne who had chosen to stand with her arms folded in front of her with her rifle still slung over her shoulder, and at Carl who was watching her, his hand gripping the edges of his sheriff's hat.

Rick hesitated, sensing that something else had happened, with Carl's track record, he prepared himself for something drastic. "Am I miss something?"

Carl rolled his eyes at the ridiculousness of the situation he had found himself in, his eyes darted up to his dad who stood next to Michonne. For a moment, he was stunned by the picture they made.

"Carl, what's this about?" Rick asked in exasperation, now really troubled by his silence.

"It's Enid!" He burst out and all the sordid details poured forth from his lips, uninterrupted.

Rick sat down on the couch as Michonne began to pace. He was shocked by the revelation and that his job had been made so easy. Whoever this Enid was, they'd deal with her.

Michonne walked back and forth, from the couch to the fireplace, she thought about what he had said to her earlier. She stopped pacing and glowered at him. "You lied to me", she accused. She pointed to the kitchen and said, "I found you in there looking all miserable, and you feed me some cock and bull story about an unrequited crush!"

"I didn't lie", he insisted, then rushed to add at the dangerous look that crossed her face. "Not completely, that was all true but I couldn't tell you all of it just yet. I was going to", he added softly.

"And when would that have been, Carl", she chided him, disappointed.

"I had to make sure it wasn't some prank or something, she is Ron's girlfriend and part his family. _The Andersons_ ", he stressed, looking at his Dad.

Rick frowned, not appreciating Carl's tone. "Somebody explain" he demanded. He scowled as he listened to Carl's explanation, he felt the beginnings of a headache form a painful tempo at his temple. He sat forward with his back hunched, his forehead resting on his fist. This news definitely complicated things, he couldn't and would not allow himself to be involved with that family again, for a number of reasons.

Michonne heaved a sigh of frustration and finally sat down on the other couch. She took off her gun and placed it in her lap.

"What a mess", she uttered. She patted the empty spot next to her, signalling to Carl to take a seat.

Rick turned to face them, he wondered if her choice to sit there had been a conscious decision, was she already blaming him and distancing herself away from him considering the issue at hand.

* * *

Michonne frowned as she heard the door from downstairs close with a loud bang. Waiting patiently, she listened carefully for Rick's footsteps as he made his way up the stairs. Disappointment gnawed at her when he didn't make his way to her room, she sat back in the chair for a while and pondered on the conversation she had overhead between Rick and Carol.

After the three of them had finished discussing the best course of action to take, Carol had walked into the house with a sleeping Judith, Daryl having told her what had happened. She had left Rick to it- taking Judith with her to put her to sleep in her own bed- trusting him to convey their plan and making sure it got through to Carol.

Making sure the blanket fort around Judith's sleeping form was solid and steady, she made her way out of her room, determined to talk to him. When she arrived at his door, she lifted a fist to knock but stalled mid-air as she thought about the significance of coming to his bedroom. She could count on one hand how many times she'd actually been in there when the reason didn't have anything to do with little Judy. She couldn't decide if she should knock, _was it even necessary at this point._ She settled for a brief tap on the door to serve as a warning and walked in, closing the door behind her just as quickly.

Her eyes widened as they landed on Rick, she could feel her face heating up at the picture he presented. She couldn't help the thoughts that entered her mind either. His hair was still damp and slicked back, the tendons in his muscular back were made more visible as he bent over slightly to pull his pants up. He was in the middle of getting dressed, his jeans were still around his knees. He had trimmed his beard down, _just to the stubble size she loved, he had to know that it turned her on_. He was shirtless, her eyes followed the trail of minimal hair that flowed from his chest and down his firm abdomen, disappearing into his black, boxer briefs. It took her a little while but she realized that she had been openly staring when her eyes moved away from what was clearly a blessed, and well-endowed package, to his pants that had barely moved an inch since she'd walked in.

She looked up to find Rick looking at her intently, a tiny grin curling up at the corner of his mouth, the raised brow told her that she had been caught ogling him. She flushed, this time in embarrassment.

"Hey", she croaked, then coughed as she swiveled away from him to face the door and give him a semblance of privacy.

"You don't need to do that", Rick chuckled, amused by her behavior. He took his time zipping up his pants, finding an immense amount of pleasure from the view she gave of her delectable body- well after he had finished getting dressed.

"So, I'm done", he said, finally.

Michonne slowly turned back to face him, she now felt more composed and less like a teenage girl. It made her wonder though, what was it exactly about Rick that made her behave this way. With Mike, she had certainly been less awkward and more in tune with her own feelings and actions. There was something about Rick that was different, on the day they had come here, she had become more conscious of her own emotions. He was more than just a friend to her. There was a difference in feeling that way in secret, honestly, if he hadn't shown signs that he might have felt the same way, she doubted if anything would have ever happened. She wanted to have as normal of a life as she could get, just the basics, more or less everything mentioned on Maslow's hierarchy of needs. In what capacity some of those things had been gained had been somewhat unexpected.

Taking a step away from the door- she had intended to sit on his _bed_ , it had been an unconscious decision but after seeing him practically naked she resisted the urge. Looking around for somewhere else to sit, without making it obvious was difficult as she could feel his searching gaze.

The setup of his room was slightly different to hers, his being the master bedroom. In addition to the furniture she already had in her own room, there was also a coat bed placed near his bed and a long, red chaise lounge located near the window. It looked out of place in the grey and black color setting of the room, even more so with the last remaining rays of sunshine that spilled through the gaps left by the curtains, bathing the chaise in a warm and welcoming light. She made her way over there and sat down facing Rick.

She was going to do this, she would be the one to initiate this talk since it seemed Rick wouldn't. "I want to ask you about something", she edged.

Rick looked from his bed, and then to where Michonne had chosen to sit and shook his head in bemusement. "You are so weird, you know that right", he asked rhetorically.

"You make me nervous", she retorted, her head turned away from him. The admission had flowed from her mind and escaped through her lips before she thought to filter herself.

The air around them became charged at her revelation. He grabbed the lone chair in his room and dragged it to a stop in front of her. When he sat down, his legs touched hers, his thighs almost encasing her own legs but not quite.

She leaned back as he pierced her with an indecipherable look.

"Why do you say that", Rick asked, softly. When she didn't immediately respond, he reached up and touched her cheek tenderly. "Michonne, you make me nervous too…"

"Really? It's just…I didn't expect this". She pointed at herself and at him, her eyes conveying her meaning.

Rick sat back. "I've thought about this, many times before we came here" he admitted.

She touched his arm, surprised by his confession.

"And?" She encouraged him to continue, pleased and cautiously happy.

"It was just never the right time or place", he said with a wave of his hand. He rubbed his jaw as he thought about the kind of horrors and turmoil they had experienced. And then when they had found a place to rest, he had been incomprehensibly unfocused. Although he didn't regret trying to protect his family, the methods he'd employed- he now realized had been ill-advised. Knowing what she would have thought of him spoke volumes on how much he had fallen down the rabbit hole. The hope that she would forgive him, had been instrumental in making him realize how emotionally invested he was, in making her happy.

Michonne nodded in agreement but froze as the wedding band on his ring finger glinted in the sunlight. She felt as if she had been dunked in freezing pool of water.

Rick felt so in tune with her emotions that he noticed the change within her, immediately, even though her posture hadn't physically shifted away from him. He followed her gaze and was taken aback when it landed on his hand, specifically, the ring Lori had given him. _Damn._

He almost swore again out-loud, when the door to his room burst open, behind him.

"Dad!"

Michonne tried to move away from Rick but much good it did since they had been sitting so close to each other. If Carl wasn't so agitated, he probably would have noticed or mentioned how close they had been sitting. She didn't want Carl or anyone really, knowing about this. Not yet.

"Carol is heading over to the Anderson's!" he burst out.

"Shit", Rick shouted, aggravated. He wanted to hit his head against a wall.

Fuckin' Carol.

Not more than forty-five minutes ago they had argued about this, he had instructed her to inform the others about what was happening and their game plan, only that. He had pointed out the delicate nature of the situation, and the fact that Deanna still didn't trust them. He had planned to get himself, Carl, and Maggie to talk to Deanna before tonight's meeting took place. Carol's way created more drama and discord, they definitely did not need to complicate their lives any further. Admittedly, he should have expected something like this.

He got up quickly, moving carefully so that he didn't fall over Michonne who also followed his lead. As she stepped away from him, her movements brought forth the conversation they had been having before being interrupted, to the forefront of his mind. Frustrated, he ran his fingers through his almost dry hair. He didn't want her walking away with the ring being the last thing she would remember from their conversation and most probably, misconstrued assumptions of why he still wore it. He also didn't want to lose what they were trying to build here.

With a slight tilt of his head, he spoke to Carl. "Get Daryl and Glenn to intercept her, now", he stressed.

For the first time since he had barged in, he looked between his father and Michonne- he still couldn't look her in the eye after their talk- and wondered what he had interrupted.

Michonne eyed Rick for a moment then turned to Carl. She touched his shoulder gently. "Will be there shortly. Go"

Carl obeyed without hesitation and closed the door behind him.

Rick looked at her and cupped her elbow, pulling her closer. "We are going to continue this", he promised.

"Yeah, I know", she agreed, staring at him. Before this, she had often wondered if he still wore the ring because he still loved his wife but back then, she had been on the outside looking in. Then there was the thing with Jessie... All of this she could ignore because it paled in comparison to the symbolical significance of him still wearing his wedding band. The lingering question in all this was; _where did she fit in?_

"We are", he reiterated, agitated by her calm demeanor. Then reluctantly, he let her go but felt the need to show how much he felt for her, however, a commotion broke downstairs and the moment was lost.

Michonne raised her hand to his forehead and smoothed out the frown lines that had formed there, she sensed that he was worried and a little bit uncertain of where she stood. Action on an impulse, she cupped both of his cheeks in her hands and pulled his head down, she leaned in to press a kiss to his forehead, softly. She pulled back to look at him, his eyes were closed, a peaceful expression graced his beautiful face. Her lips found his in an open-mouthed, hard, searing kiss that made her tremble. The touch of his lips branded her, reminding her she was too far in, to back out now.


	7. Chapter 7: A wrong don't prove a right

A/N: I apologize for the ridiculous delay, this chapter serves to set up Chapter 8. I used some of Danai G's words from Comic Con for her convo with Carl somewhere in this chappie. Enjoy

Chapter 7

 **Five hours before the town meeting…**

Rick had gone on ahead whilst she took a detour towards her room to check on Lil' Judy and she was relieved to find her still sleeping. She was filled with wonder at the marvel that children were, Judith had adapted to Alexandria just as easily as she had adapted to the constant explosions of gunfire, yelling and constant movement. Initially she had had a difficult time getting used to the quiet of Alexandria but now, well, if she could sleep through whatever disaster was going on downstairs, then they had done something right by coming here.

Michonne made sure the blanket fort was still securely around her since she had moved around, quite a bit. She reached down and adjusted her elbow and grabbed the baby blanket that had been kicked away- _she's always doing that,_ she thought affectionately. Then, placing a soft kiss on her cheek, she tucked her in again and walked out the room.

Standing against the railing at the top of the stairs, she inhaled and exhaled, bracing herself for whatever she would find downstairs. She made her way down the stairs swiftly, to find Rick in the middle of helping Abraham carry Carol into the living room. She was unconscious.

"What in the hell…" She gaped at the scene before her almost missing the last step, the parallel between this, and day that Rick had to be carried in a similar fashion after his bout of madness, was jarring.

In addition to all of this crazy, Daryl was all up in Abe's face, she barely managed to catch on to what he was saying, and she thought she heard something along the lines of: _"that was uncalled for"._ As soon as Abe was done with his task, he was also spewing right back in Daryl's face. Glenn rushed to stand between the two, to prevent them from coming to blows.

Michonne glanced at Rick who was also watching his friends behave like idiots with a blank look on his face. She walked around them and closer to the couch where they had deposited Carol, she inspected her face for any bruises and found none. She was also indescribably relieved to find her still breathing. She sat down besides her on the space available on the couch and did her best to check her for other injuries without disrobing her.

"Is someone going to explain to me why she is unconscious", she asked, conversationally, as she buttoned up the pink cardigan.

"I'd like to know that as well and the fact that you were arguing about it so loudly where other people might have seen or heard y'all", Rick growled, frustrated at all the shit that was piling up.

"This piece of shit, fuckin' clocked her that's what, with his fuckin' gun!" Daryl exploded, finally turning away from glaring at Abe and stared at the knocked out form on the couch.

He came to stand near where her head rested on the couch and took a seat on the armrest. Michonne caught the subtle shift in his eyes as he watched Carol, there was a warmth there that made her avert her gaze.

Abraham heaved a sigh, the flushed look on his face almost matching his flaming hair as he visibly reigned himself in. "Man, you saw her, she was determined and nothing was going to stop her. I had to use necessary force", he reasoned.

"Wait, wait". Rick held up a hand as he finally realized what they were saying. "Are you telling me…you knocked her out?" he asked in amazement, looking at Abraham. The irony of the situation wasn't lost on him either, he looked at Michonne from the corner of his eyes.

"Again, necessary force", he reiterated, annoyed, "there was no other way. I would never lay a hand on her!" he added forcefully.

Both Michonne and Rick looked to Daryl who remained silent and his gaze fixated on Carol. Simultaneously, they both turned to Glenn for an explanation.

Glenn shrugged. "Like Abe said, he had no choice, she had a gun and was determined to get to the Anderson house no matter what we said. She didn't see him coming and that's how he got the drop on her".

"Any witnesses?" Rick asked, feeling an immeasurable amount of displeasure at the turn of events.

Massaging his shoulder, he replayed the scene in his head, he didn't remember seeing anyone but then again, he had been focusing on Carol who had ranting and raving at them. "I wanna say no but I cannot be completely sure", Glenn admitted.

"Fuck!" Michonne got up from where she had been sitting with Carol and began pacing, agitated and angry at herself for not pressing things with her. She stopped pacing momentarily as she recalled the conversation they had had last week, in the kitchen. "God!" she burst out exasperatedly, almost unaware that the occupants in the room were watching her.

"Michonne?"

She turned to face Rick and was startled out of her recollection when she found him standing closer than she had expected. A questioning look graced his rugged features as he gazed at her openly.

"I suspected that maybe", she looked at him and then over his shoulder at Daryl who was now also watching her. "That something was different with her you know, since we've been here, she's spent all her time pretending, scheming and god knows what but we talked… and she said something to me. Something to the effect of her eliminating whatever she deemed as a threat to us".

"Well, shit", Abraham muttered. "How are we going to handle this, people here are already on edge after that mother-load with Rick. And once they learn about the _Wolves_ tonight, there is a high probability that shit gon' hit the fan in epic proportions", he stated.

Silence pervaded the room after that as they all stared at the unconscious form on the couch.

"Well, whatever happens, we really need to rethink our game plan before facing those people tonight", Glenn said eventually, his face grim as he eyed, Michonne, meaningfully. He cocked his head slightly towards the door, trying to convey to her that they needed to talk. _Privately._

* * *

 **Three hours before the town meeting…**

They had all tried talking to Carol but she had woken up pissed and had stayed that way, fuming away silently for the past few hours. She hadn't really put up a fight at Rick's decision to put her on lock-down, with a guard on her all the times. Right now, Daryl was with her and would stay with her for the duration of the meeting.

Michonne walked determinedly and kept her head down, her steps taking her towards her home as she mused silently over the best course of action to take after what Glenn had revealed to her. Personally, she was at her wits end here, problems, one after the other seemed to be piling up with no clear cut solution on how to solve them. She figured that things hadn't been clear cut in a long time either.

In the past three hours or so, they'd found a walker inside the gates, one that belonged to what she believed were the worst kind of people the apocalypse had created. Now, this Enid girl was somehow involved in possibly endangering the people she cared about, particularly Carl – and her home, she could finally have a life here. Part of that, of having a life, was also finding love again.

She grinned to herself as she relieved the events that had happened on their couch. Although she wasn't ready to jump into bed with him, especially with his wedding band still wrapped around his finger. It just felt wrong, disrespectful to Carl and Judith's mother, and herself, to join with him in that way and still have a part his deceased wife being present in that form. The fact that he hadn't had a chance to explain it her didn't help, her mindset was maybe there wasn't enough room for her, in his heart. She shook her head trying to dispel her train of thought, for now, she had to shelve the issue until another chance presented itself.

Now, she had to think about how she was going to tell Rick about Deanna's misguided plan of vengeance. There was no doubt in her mind that she would tell him- on some level, she understood why Glenn and Maggie had felt the need to withhold this news from him. Dude had no chill zone. He had surprised her with how level headed he was being in dealing with the Enid-reveal.

As soon as she walked into the house, she was greeted by the sight of Carl sitting on the floor trying to feed Judith who seemed to be distracted by the few toys that she had surrounding her and she kept attempting to get up to play with them. Amused by Lil' Judy's failed attempts, she grabbed one of her plush teddy bears and brought it over to where they were sitting and handed it to her as she also took her place on the floor, next to them.

"Hey." Carl greeted her, softly.

She responded in kind, smiling warmly at both of them, she leaned over to give Lil' Judy a kiss on her forehead which she seemed to appreciate evidenced by the peal of giggles that poured forth from her lips.

It took her a while to realize that Carl hadn't said anything else to her beyond a greeting, he seemed focused on the task of feeding Judith but she caught the furtive glances being cast in her direction when he probably thought he was being sneaky. She frowned in concern and intentionally looked at him only for him to avert his gaze.

"Is something wrong?"

"Other than the obvious", he retorted, sarcastically.

Michonne gave him an unimpressed look at his tone.

He lowered his gaze to the plate of mash in his hands. "I know, no sass. Sorry."

"Ok", she nodded hesitantly. "Are you ok", she rephrased.

"Are you still mad at me?" He asked, still not making eye contact.

"No", she admitted. She really had been more disappointed than anything. "You and me, we don't lie to each other, if you suspect that something is wrong, you come and tell us. We've lost too much to keep each other in the dark about important things. I know that you can take care of yourself Carl, but I can't help wanting to keep you safe. Going outside the walls…you know what's out there. It's not meant to be something you do for fun. I cannot tell you what to do, that's up to your Dad but I love you, both of you", she confessed and also looking at Lil' Judy. When she saw how his eyes widened in what she guessed was surprise, she nodded. "And that's why you have to be smart, which I know you are, I've lost one son, I don't-" she chocked on her words, her throat closing up.

Carl blinked and swallowed rapidly as he stared at his best friend, he felt the same way about her. She had helped him more than she could possibly know. He put the plate of food down and shuffled closer to her with Judith still in his arms. He wanted to hug her but he hesitated, feeling uncertain. He was relieved when her arms came around his shoulders and also pulled Judith into her lap.

* * *

Rick was taken aback and a little worried when he walked into the house to find his children and Michonne hugging each other as they sat on the floor in the living room.

"What's going on?" He asked, perplexed by the scene before him.

The hugging session broke apart and the participants began standing up, Michonne laughed as she spied Carl's reddened cheeks. "Just bonding time with your kids", she teased.

Rick's face brightened at the soft look on her face when her eyes focused on _his children_ , as she referred to them. That made him wonder if she didn't realise that for a while now, she had been helping him co-parent. He wasn't going to point it out, she would eventually come to that realization on her own.

"Well with the day I'm- we are having, I'm sure I could use one of those", he suggested, staring at her. When Michonne's eyebrows rose and her eyes darted to Carl who was now picking up Judith's forgotten plate of food from the floor, he realised that his tone may have come off flirtier than he had intended.

Feeling amused by his less than subtle intentions and his playful mood, Michonne almost forgot that she had more upsetting news to share with him. She passed Judith on to him as she had been trying to reach for him.

"We need to wash her face". She headed towards the kitchen with the Grimes family following behind her. "Where were you?" She asked him over her shoulder.

"Had to talk with Sasha and Rosita who will be part of the patrol team this evening during the meeting, just for them to keep their eyes open. And then Tara, she will be shadowing this Enid girl, we can't take any chances".

Carl swallowed the defensive retort that had been on the tip of his tongue, he knew that his Dad hadn't meant that to sound like a dig at him. So, he remained silent as he dropped the plate into the sink and went to sit on a bar stool, facing both his Dad and Michonne.

Michonne nodded thoughtfully, she wholeheartedly agreed that these measures were necessary. Leaning against the counter, she watched as Rick washed his daughter's face. "I need to tell you something", she began, and looked over at Carl. "You too, it involves us, and the rest of our family", she stressed. She told them all that Glenn had told her.

"And they heard all of this from _Father Gabriel_ ", he pointed out, sceptically. "The same man who Maggie overheard telling Deanna that we were the devil, what changed?" He couldn't believe the nerve of that man.

Michonne was bowled over by Rick's reaction. She honestly hadn't expected him to react this way and of all the responses she had envisioned getting, this hadn't been one of them. Maybe she should stop underestimating him. Some of the disbelief she was feeling might have shown on her face because he asked, if she believed their source.

Michonne looked at Carl who seemed just as sceptical as his father.

"I'm partially inclined to believe him, something about Deanna didn't seem quite right this afternoon. I was kind of reminded of myself, before I met you guys, even before Andrea. I was fuelled with grief and anger back then, a dangerous and stupid combination to have", she said quietly, with a faraway look in her eyes. "Do I believe Father Gabriel, like you, I cannot fully trust his word either".

Rick listened in silence as he stared out the window, it was getting darker and darker outside, his reflection stared back at him. He could also see his daughter who was in his arms, resting her little head on his shoulders, comfortable and safe. "I don't want to dismiss it all together either, because if it does turn out to be true, we have to do what's necessary", he stated ominously.

Michonne frowned and stepped closer to him. "And what does that mean?"

"What do you think we should do, Michonne? We cannot be fighting subterfuge and a civil war inside these walls and then expect to survive this imminent threat". He looked at her then, taking in her expression as he tried to impress the import of his words upon her. "We should be standing together, training and arming ourselves for the possibility of an attack, whether it comes from the living or dead. So what choice are we left with, when words aren't enough anymore."


End file.
